You've Got My Attention
by iheartgod175
Summary: When Sheriff Callie receives attentions from a persistent cat named Timothy, her deputy Peck steps in to drive him off. It was supposed to be over after that, but Timothy isn't about to step aside. The situation that unfolds not only brings disorder to Nice 'n Friendly Corners, but it also brings up buried secrets-Peck's feelings for a certain sheriff being one of them. Callie/Peck
1. The Suitor

**A/N** : Before I begin, I would like to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for giving me this idea and for showing me how to write it! I give You all the glory! Amen!

Hello, Disney! I'm sure you guys remember me, from the _Zula Patrol_ fics that I've been putting up. For those who don't know me, I'm iheartgod175, and I write for obscure cartoons like _Sheriff Callie's Wild West_. For those who do know me, you already know what to expect: new fandom, new story :)

So, I posted on Tumblr a while back that I was thinking of putting up more short stories on my blog. Well, as soon as I put up that up, I got hit with an idea for a _Sheriff Callie's Wild West_ story. It's probably gonna be a three-parter with a bit of drama as well as humor, but knowing how my mind works, be prepared for an extension similar to that of my other fic, _Have Guitar, Will Travel._

And because the pairing smacked me over the head while I was writing other stuff, the main pairing here is Callie/Peck. Heck, I confess that the whole reason this story exists is because I wanted to write a Callie/Peck fic. If you don't like them, well...I don't know what to tell ya, other than to look elsewhere. :)

Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

 **Title** : You've Got My Attention

 **Fandom** : _Sheriff Callie's Wild West_

 **Genre/Tags** : **Western/Romance/Drama** /Adventure/ **Friendship** /Tragedy/Semi-Slowburn (because I get impatient with these things)

 **Rated: T** (for mild violence and tragedy)

 **Full Summary** : Sheriff Callie is considered to be one of the most eligible bachelorettes in the West, and has had numerous suitors-and recently, she's been begrudgingly entertaining attentions from a persistent cat named Timothy. When he doesn't take no for an answer and becomes more aggressive, her deputy Peck steps in to drive him off. However, Timothy isn't about to step aside, and as part of his revenge, he plans to cause disorder in Nice 'n Friendly Corners. With this chaos comes high tensions and buried secrets-Peck's feelings for a certain sheriff being one of them. A _Sheriff Callie's Wild West_ fic. Callie/Peck, because why the heck not.

 **Disclaimer** : It should be obvious that I don't own _Sheriff Callie's Wild West_. And considering how dark my fics can be, that's probably for the best.

* * *

 **You've Got My Attention**

 **Part 1: The Suitor**

It was late afternoon when Peck and Toby rode into Nice 'n Friendly Corners, having just completed their rounds. After waving to some of the citizens walking about, the pair stopped in front of the sheriff's office and tethered their steeds to the pole.

"Say, Toby, how's about we head over to Ella's for milkshakes after supper tonight? My treat," Peck offered.

Toby looked up at Peck, a bright smile on his face. "Why, that sounds right swell! Thanks, Peck!" he said. "I'm gettin' two banana milkshakes this time!"

"Remember, Toby, it's after supper" Peck teased. "'sides, you know very well that Sheriff Callie won't let ya drink that many. We'd better report back to the sheriff first, though."

"Aw, alright, Peck."

Peck smiled over at his old friend, and walked up to the sheriff's office and made his way in. "Oh, Sheriff, we're-"

He stopped in the middle of the doorway. Callie was sitting at her desk, engaged in a conversation with another cat, who was about an inch or two taller than Callie herself and had gold and white fur. He wore a brown shirt, a black vest and light blue jeans. His black and gold cowboy hat hung on the rack next to the door.

 _Well, he's certainly made himself at home,_ Peck thought to himself, folding his arms.

Toby bumbled into his back, sending several jolts of pain. "Uh, Peck, why're you-"

"I'm waitin' for this fella ta finish up," Peck said.

"Aw, come on, at least promise me that you'll rethink it, Sheriff," the cat said.

"I've gotta admit, I'm right flattered, Timothy, but I'm afraid that I'm not interested," Callie replied. "Maybe some other time."

Timothy sighed. "My friends were right. You are hard to get," he said.

"Oh, it's not you at all, Timothy. You're a nice fella, but I'm not interested," she replied, casually. "I hope I didn't offend ya."

"Nope, you didn't, Sheriff. If anythin', you've only made me even more determined," Timothy said. "I'll be back soon, an' I'll prove myself to be a cat that you'll like." He stood up and turned to leave, only to start when he saw Peck and Toby standing there. His blue eyes relaxed and he nodded at them. "Deputies." He then picked up his hat from the rack. "Sorry for keepin' ya waitin'."

"No worries," Peck said, stepping aside so the cat could leave.

When he was gone, Toby turned to Callie. "Who was that, Sheriff?"

 _That's what I want to know,_ Peck thought, but he didn't vocalize it.

"Oh, that was Timothy," Callie said. "Apparently, he and his friends are stayin' in town searchin' for gold. If they don't find any, they're on to the next town."

"So, why'd he come here for?" Peck asked."They could've asked Dirty Dan an' Dusty about gold!"

"Well, he did. But then I learned that...well, he likes me, and was asking me out on a date," Callie replied, somewhat shyly.

"A date?" both of her deputies exclaimed. Toby sounded surprised, but Peck sounded shocked, and a little angry.

"Yup. He said that he'd been tryin' to ask for a while, but he wasn't sure if I'd take his offer or not," she answered.

"Maybe he's the one who sent ya all those strange gifts weeks back," Toby said.

" _Gifts_?" Peck repeated.

"Oh, yeah, now that ya mention it, those must've been where that big ol' bouquet of flowers came from, right, Sheriff Callie?" Toby continued, completely ignoring Peck's fuming.

"He told me after he said he liked me that he sent me the roses, the chocolates an' that ball of premium extra-sparkly pink yarn," Callie said. She gave a small smile. "That one was my favorite."

Peck's hands quickly balled into fists. It was taking all it had in him to not explode right then and there. "Yeah, I bet it was..."

"Guess he got tired of sendin' stuff an' decided to ask ya outright," Toby mused.

"Sadly for him, I had to tell 'im that I wasn't interested."

"He wasn't bad lookin' or anythin', was he, Sheriff?" Toby said. "He looked normal to me."

"Well, he _was_ kinda cute," Callie said, "but somethin' about 'im seemed a little...off. But like I said, I wasn't too interested in 'im."

"Reckon he's thinkin' of tryin' to get your attention again," Toby said. "He said he was more determined ta prove that he'll be a guy you like."

"But you jus' told 'im that you weren't interested!" Peck argued. "Why does he keep tryin'?"

"Some fellas are persistent when it comes to courtin', Peck. Trust me, I've had a few suitors in the past," Callie answered.

"S-Suitors?" Peck replied, all but shrieking the word.

"Aw, come on, Peck. You know the sheriff's got a lot of people who like 'er," Toby said. "You've seen some of those fellas around town, all tryin' to win her over. And you can't blame them. Sheriff Callie's very pretty!"

Callie chuckled. "Aw, thanks, Toby," she said. "Hopefully, he won't become too crazy over me or anythin'."

 _I hope so, too...for his sake_ , Peck thought. He paused, realizing what he'd just thought, and almost wanted to slap himself in the head. _Great, now I sound like one of those crazy people!  
_

"So, did you run into trouble on your rounds?" Callie asked.

"Nope, not at all, Sheriff. We were talkin' about headin' over to the saloon for some milkshakes after supper," Toby said.

"That's a good idea," Callie replied. "How about we all head over to the saloon together? We haven't eaten out in a while."

"Sounds like a great idea, Sheriff," Peck said. Well, even though he wasn't too happy about Timothy, at least he'd be able to eat out with the sheriff and his best friend. "We'll clean up an' then get goin'."

* * *

 _A little later..._

The bell jangled over the door to the saloon. The saloon's owner, Ella, looked up to and smiled when she saw Callie, Peck and Toby. "Why, howdy, y'all! You guys eatin' in this time?" she asked.

"We sure are," Callie said. "Can you start me off with regular milk, please?"

"I'll take the 2% reduced fat, please!" Toby said.

"I'll have what the sheriff's havin'!" Peck answered.

Ella smiled brightly. "Comin' right up!" She then made her way to the back where she kept her glasses.

"I'm tryin' to figure out what to order," Toby mused, looking at the menu. "Maybe I'll go with the tumbleweed fries as a starter."

"I've got a hankerin' for a salad," Peck said. "An' afterwards, probably the garden vegetable soup." He turned towards Callie. "What're you eatin', Sheriff?"

"Hmm...I'm thinkin' of orderin' a tuna salad sandwich," she answered.

"Funny. That's my favorite sandwich, too."

All three of them turned around at the sound of the voice. Timothy was sitting there, spinning the cream in his milkshake with a straw. He looked up at Callie then, the smile on his face turning sheepish.

"Sorry I startled ya, Sheriff. I wasn't tryin' to, honest," he said. "I was jus' speakin' aloud."

A flash of irritation went through Peck. _But you were tryin' to get her attention, weren't ya?_ He tried to keep calm by lightly drumming his fingers on the table, but he knew he wouldn't be calm unless Timothy miraculously got up and left.

"Oh, it's not a problem, Timothy," Callie answered. "Everyone's done it before."

"Mm-hmm. Say, while you're here, I was wondering if you've reconsidered that offer of mine?" Timothy said.

Callie gave him a small smile, one that showed how uncomfortable she was. This did not go missed by Peck, either. "I'm sorry, Timothy, but my answer's the same as before."

"We could go out for tuna fish sandwiches another time then."

"Look, I appreciate the offer, but I'm afraid I'll have ta turn ya down," she said.

"What? I'm not your type or somethin'?" Timothy asked, frowning.

Callie's smile disappeared entirely as she tried to think of something. "Well-"

There was a loud _clack_ as the heels of Peck's boots hit the floor. Callie and Toby stared, openmouthed, as Peck glared at Timothy.

"Listen here, you stubborn polecat," Peck started, his eyes narrowing, "the sheriff already said she wasn't interested in ya. If I was you, I'd take it an' leave it alone."

"I hear she tells almost every fella who likes her the same thing," Timothy said. "She's gotta accept an offer sooner or later. She owes it to the fellers who are puttin' in time an' effort to ask."

"She doesn't owe you nothin'!" Peck argued. "If she wants to, she wants to. If she doesn't, she doesn't. An' she obviously doesn't." He folded his arms and sent the cat a pointed glare. "You need to back off."

Timothy chuckled, and then he stood up from his seat. He was smiling, but the look in his eyes was dangerous. "What if I don't?" he said. "You gonna arrest me or somethin', Deputy?"

"If you keep harrassin' her, I will," Peck retorted, staring the cat down. "An' trust me, you don't want me to."

Dead silence filled the saloon. All eyes were locked on Timothy and Peck. The former's expression was changing into a cruel sneer, and the latter's glare was growing angrier by the second.

"Uh-oh," Ella muttered.

"You think I'm afraid of a big-mouthed woodpecker like you?" Timothy scoffed. "Personally, I don't see why you're gettin' so worked up over my talkin' to the sheriff."

"I am _not_ gettin' worked up!" Peck shouted.

Timothy scoffed. "Yeah, sure," he said. "Like I didn't notice the way ya looked at me when I was talkin' to the sheriff, Deputy. You're suspectin' me of somethin'."

Callie looked over at Peck, whose hands were balling into fists. "Peck-"

"And just why are you gettin' so suspicious, hmm? Are you one of those folks that inspects every person that likes their friends?" Timothy continued. "Or…"

"Or what?" Peck demanded.

Timothy smirked. "Or are you trying to keep the sheriff to yourself?" he finished.

Peck was an inch away from Timothy's jacket only for sharp needles to stick into his right arm. He yelped in pain, and turned around to face Toby, who held onto his arm for dear life. "Toby, let me go!"

"Don't fight 'im, Peck! He's not worth it!" the cactus pleaded.

"I think Peck disagrees with me. I bet the sheriff is, eh, Deputy?" Timothy said. His sneer disappeared, leaving only an angry glower in his blue eyes. "You'd do best to stay out of my way, woodpecker, or else I'm gonna put you six feet under. An' that'll be _after_ I skin you alive an' make a nice price offa your feathers. She's mine, not yours."

Anger coursed hot through Peck's veins. "Why, you-"

"You should keep your own advice."

Whatever Peck was going to say disappeared the moment Callie got down from her chair and stood in front of Peck. The anger on her face could've killed a lesser person. "After what you've done, not only insultin' my deputy, but also treatin' me like some kind of prize, I want nothin' to do with you anymore, Timothy," she said.

Timothy's mouth dropped open in utter shock. "Wha-"

"Well, if that didn't get the point across, I don't know what else will," Ella replied. She set her glass down and looked at Timothy. "If you're gonna cause trouble in my saloon, I'm gonna have to ask you to leave."

Timothy snarled angrily, and then he snatched up his hat and made his way to the door. Before he left, he turned to face Peck. "This isn't over, Deputy! You may've won today, but soon I'll be the one with the last laugh," he said. "You just wait. You'll regret getting in my way!"

The door slammed shut with an ominous bang. Ella breathed out a long, relieved sigh. "Whew, that was hairy. For a second there, I was worried 'bout a fight breakin' out." She looked at Callie, who was climbing back up to the bar. "Is everythin' alright, Sheriff?"

"I'm fine, Ella. Thanks," she replied. She sighed. "I didn't want to lose my temper like that, but...he was threatenin' Peck and-"

"Oh, no, I completely understand. I would've done more than lost my temper, though," Ella said.

Callie nodded, and then she looked over at Peck, who made his way back to his seat, looking rather subdued. "Are ya alright, Deputy Peck?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm alright, Sheriff," he said. He didn't sound like it, though, nor did he look it. "Jus' a little tired from dealin' with that guy. He just didn't know when to quit."

Toby looked at his friend worriedly. "You almost punched him, Peck."

"But you stopped me from doin' it, Toby. If I had hit him, it would've been over," Peck answered, drinking his milk.

A hand touching his shoulder made him pause. He looked over to his left and saw Callie's paw resting on his left shoulder. Her face was aglow with a warm smile.

"Thanks for defendin' me back there, Peck. I really appreciate it," she said. "You're a true friend to the end."

Peck swallowed the remaining sip hard. "U-Uh...shucks, i-it was nothin', Sheriff," he answered. A part of him wanted to say, _I'm standin' here as your friend, but really, I'm in love with you. I can't stand seein' you with that guy._ But he kept quiet, lest he prove Timothy's words. "I'm just glad that you're not bein' bothered no more."

"Me too." To his dismay, her paw left his shoulder and returned to her napkin. "Well, let's not worry about him anymore, fellas. Supper's gonna be served in a few."

"Now that's the best thing I've heard all day!" Toby said. He paused, and then said, "Well, second best, next to Peck tellin' me that he was gonna buy milkshakes."

Peck had to admit, Toby's idea sounded good, but he couldn't help but worry about Timothy's words. He had a bad feeling about the cat, and he was more than certain that what Timothy had in mind for him was probably going to extend towards Callie as well. He balled his hand in a fist. Timothy could pluck him clean, but if he even thought of laying a paw on Callie, he'd make good on this threat.

"Say, Peck, aren't ya gonna eat?" Toby asked.

Peck snapped out of it, and looked down at his food, which had been placed in front of him without his realizing it. He chuckled. "Of course I'm gonna eat, Toby! An' I'm gonna enjoy it, too!" he said, taking a bite out of his salad.

Yes, he'd enjoy his meal and the time with his friends-and block out the image of that horrible cat in the process.

* * *

Outside of the saloon, Timothy snarled as he watched the sheriff and her two deputies eat supper together. "Enjoy your meal an' your time with the sheriff while you can, Peck, 'cause it ain't gonna last long. This town and your precious Sheriff _will_ be mine," he said. "And I'll make sure to remove any obstacles...startin' with you."

He stalked away into the darkness, revenge brewing in his mind.

 **End of Part 1**

* * *

 ** _I got hit with some Callie/Peck feels and I wanted to write something out. It was originally supposed to be fluffy, with Callie discovering Peck's jealous side and his love for her, but then it turned into this. I'm thinking of making this a two or three-shot, so I can build up on more of the characters, particularly Timothy. But as I said before, I don't make guarantees when it comes to this stuff._**

 ** _My headcanon is that Callie gets asked out a lot, but she usually ends up turning some of them down (with the exception of a few). She's similar to the "Blazin' Trails" Ricochet in this regard, as he's gotten a lot of girls who asked him out. And unlike Ricochet, Callie doesn't have an extensive love life and she's not the kind of girl (er, cat) who'd string people along. There is a reason for it, though, but I won't tell you why she rejects most of her suitors, but that'll be saved for another time._**

 ** _Peck, in my opinion is similar to Pearl in Steven Universe, but with more of a jealous streak. Here, he didn't even know about Callie's numerous dates, so he wasn't too happy to learn that Timothy was added to that list. And surprisingly, despite his tendency to mouth off his big beak to people, he actually managed to keep his love for Callie secret. Part 2 will probably have the aftermath of the incident at the saloon._**

 ** _Anyway, I hope you enjoy! Constructive criticism is most appreciated!_**

 ** _God bless, iheartgod175_**


	2. The Confrontation

**A/N:** Here is part two of my _Sheriff Callie's Wild West_ fic, and it's way longer than part one. What I had originally planned for this, as stated in chapter 1, happens here in this chapter. Well...most of it, anyway.

So, sit back, eat some cookies or popcorn or whatever, and enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** I still don't own _Sheriff Callie's Wild West_. The only things I own are Timothy and his henchmen.

* * *

 **You've Got My Attention**

 **Part 2: The Confrontation**

 _Nice 'n Friendly Corners Hotel_

The doors to the hotel room shuddered with each knock. Laying on the bed with a newspaper folded over his chest, the room's occupant, a brown-furred deer, groaned. "Alright, Tim, no need to get your whiskers in a twist," he muttered. He got up from the bed and opened the door.

When he saw Timothy's angry face, he couldn't help but smirk. "Let me guess," he said. "Got rejected again?"

"Shut up, Whitetail," Timothy snarled, stalking into the room. He tossed his hat onto a small bed. "One day, I'm going to get even with 'im..."

"With who?" Whitetail asked. He reached inside the icebox and broke open a bottle of apple cider; it looked like the cat would need it tonight.

"With who? Who else? It's that loudmouthed deputy of hers!" Timothy said.

"The woodpecker?"

"Yeah, him. He thinks he can just interfere in my personal business whenever he likes," Timothy said. "Well, I'll show him! I'll show him and that stupid cactus that follows him around just what happens when they mess with me!"

Whitetail poured some cider in a glass and handed it to Timothy. "Reckon you ain't gonna leave 'til you get your revenge," he mused.

"Darn straight." Timothy paused to down his entire glass in one gulp. He belched and then wiped his mouth with his paw. "An' if I have to use him to get her, then so be it."

"So...what're you gonna do?" Whitetail asked. "Sheriff Callie might not want to talk to ya after whatever you've done. You're not one to be discreet."

"Shut up, I'm thinkin'," Timothy said. He snatched the bottle of cider and filled another glass for himself. Right as he was putting the glass to his lips, his eyes lit up. And then, he smirked. "Heh...well, that ain't too bad of an idea at all..."

"What idea?" Whitetail asked.

"Gather the others an' bring 'em in here. Mark my words, that deputy's gonna wish he never opened his big beak," Timothy laughed, before taking a sip of his cider.

* * *

 _Several days later..._

Mornings in Nice 'n Friendly Corners were nice and quiet, with very little going on other than the townspeople walking by. Sheriff Callie smiled as she looked at the peaceful scene from her position on the porch, drinking some ice cold milk from a metal mug. So far, it looked like it was going to be a trouble free day, and she'd need it.

"Mornin', Sheriff Callie!"

Callie's ears perked up at that, and she turned to face Priscilla Skunk, who was walking over to her, pink parasol in hand. "Mornin', Priscilla. How are ya?"

"Oh, I'm jus' fine, Sheriff. It's you that I'm worried about," she replied.

Callie blinked. "Pardon?"

"Well, I was over at Ella's this morning, and she told me all about what happened a few days ago at the saloon! That must've been an awful situation, don't you think?" she said.

Callie sighed. That incident at the saloon was the last thing she wanted to think about right then. "It was. Toby and I had to step in before a fight broke out between the two of them," she replied.

"Oh, thank goodness Peck intervened when he did. Who knows what he could've done?"

"I know. An' that's what worries me," Callie said. "You haven't seen him around, have you?"

"Nope. But I know that if I did, I'd like to give him a nice smack on the head with this," Priscilla said, holding up her purse for emphasis. "Honestly, what kinda fella does somethin' like that, especially in front of a lady?"

"A crazy one, that's for sure." Uncle Bun walked up to them then, carrying a crate full of apples. "I'd say you should stay away from him, Sheriff, but that's right hard, what with him sendin' gifts and all."

"Don't you guys worry," Callie said, standing up from leaning over the railing. "I can handle 'im if he gets to be any trouble, and if he keeps it up, I've got Toby an' Peck to help."

Just then, Toby shouted from inside, "Hey, Sheriff Callie! Breakfast is ready!"

"Alright, I'll be right in!" she answered. She turned to face Priscilla and Uncle Bun. "I've gotta go, guys. Thanks for your concern, though."

"Anytime, Sheriff!" Uncle Bun said.

As soon as Callie had made her way into the office, Uncle Bun leaned towards Priscilla. "Do you think we should've told her our reason as to why Peck defended her?" he whispered.

Priscilla gasped. "Of course we can't, Uncle Bun! She's already got enough to worry about, what with that Timothy hangin' around," Priscilla said. "Findin' out that Peck's in love with her would only distract her!"

* * *

Breakfast was a chatty affair. Thankfully for Callie, Toby was yammering on about the newest issue of the _Saguaro Ted_ comics and not what had happened several days ago. Of course, being in a small town such as Nice 'n Friendly Corners meant that one's business was everyone's business.

"...an' what's even crazier is the endin'! They end up gettin' trapped in a mine chocked full of dynamite that's about to explode, an' their only hope, Deputy Hop-a-Long, is miles away!" Toby recounted excitedly. He took another bite of cereal and flipped open the book to the final page in question. "They said the next issue's supposed to come out next month, but I don't think I can wait that long!"

Callie chuckled. "I bet you can manage to wait a few more weeks," she said. "But that does sound like a great storyline, don't you think, Peck?"

Peck jolted, dropping his spoon into his bowl of oatmeal. "Oh, uh, yeah," he replied. He blinked in confusion. "Uh...what were ya talkin' about?"

"You mean you weren't listenin' at all?" Toby asked, sounding somewhat hurt.

"Sorry, Toby. Reckon I went off into my own world for a second there," he said, offering up a nervous smile.

Toby crossed his arms. "Now I'm gonna have ta explain everythin' all over again!" he groaned.

Callie looked over at Peck curiously as he stirred up his oatmeal. He hadn't said much of anything since coming down for breakfast. It wasn't like the woodpecker to become silent, especially around breakfast time; next to Cody, he had the fastest mouth in town.

"Are ya alright, Peck?" she asked. "You're not sick or anythin', are ya?"

"No, I'm fine, Sheriff. Just don't have much of an appetite, that's all," he said. He set his spoon down. "Can I be excused?"

"Only if I come with ya," Callie said. She then turned towards Toby. "We'll be back in a bit, Toby. Afterwards, we'll take care of the chores."

"Sure thing, Sheriff Callie," Toby said.

Callie and Peck left the table, heading for the front porch. Callie closed the door so that Toby wouldn't overhear, and then turned towards Peck. "Alright, Peck. What's goin' on with ya?"

"Oh, it's nothin', Sheriff," he answered. His despondent face showed otherwise, though. "Like I said, I jus' don't have much of an appetite."

"You, not havin' an appetite for trail mix oatmeal?" Callie asked, one eye narrowed.

A beat. "...okay, so I _may've_ had somethin' on my mind," Peck answered finally, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "It's somethin' I shouldn't be thinkin' about, to be honest, but..."

"Peck, if there's somethin' botherin' you, you can tell me," Callie said, walking over to him.

"You won't judge me or anythin', right?"

"Of course not, Peck. You're my deputy, but more importantly, one of my friends," Callie said, patting him on the shoulder. "I wanna help you with whatever's botherin' you."

Peck's face colored briefly, and then he coughed. "W-Well, uh...you might be angry about this, but I was thinkin' about that Timothy fella," he said.

"How come?" Callie asked.

"Well, I couldn't help but think of what he was sayin'," he said. "He said that one day you'd be his."

"Aw, Peck. He's not gonna make me his. Besides, after what he did, there's no way I'm gonna be with someone like him," she replied.

"Thing is, fellas like Timothy never stop," Peck said. "They'll try anythin' to get what they want. And what he wants is you. A part of me thinks that he's just spewin' a bunch of hot air...but what if he isn't? What if he actually does somethin' crazy to get to ya? What if...w-what if he actually hurts you or somethin'?" He hung his head low, worry in his eyes. "I couldn't bear it if somethin' like that happened..."

Callie's frown deepened. "Oh, Peck..."

"I mean, you're an important person in this town. You've got lots of friends here, and people look up to ya, respect ya...heck, I might as well say that they love ya," Peck continued. "A lot of people would be devastated if somethin' happened to you. I know I would be. An' if you were forced to run off with 'im-"

Callie's paws grasped his hands. He looked up at her, expecting anger on her face, but he saw only confidence in her bright green eyes. A small smile was on her face, one of gratitude. "I appreciate your concern, Peck, but you don't have to worry 'bout Timothy comin' after me an' doin' anythin'. I can protect myself; after all, I've always got my trusty lasso by my side. And I know that you'll come in and defend me, jus' like you did a few days ago," she said. She chuckled. "And I know I won't have to ask Toby to do so. So you don't have to worry about anythin' like that happenin'. It won't."

Peck sighed, and a real smile came on his face. "Thanks for cheerin' me up, Sheriff. I guess I was gettin' worried over nothin'."

"I can't blame you for bein' worried. Most of the townspeople are, but I told them that I'll be fine," Callie said. "Nobody's comin' in to take me away."

"That's a relief. I was worried 'bout that for a second there, too," Peck said.

Callie blinked in surprise. "What do you mean, Peck?" she asked.

Peck blinked, and then he blushed. "Oh...uh...shucks, what a way to put me on the spot," he muttered.

"Peck, you can tell me," she said, releasing one of his hands to put one of hers on his shoulder. "If it's anythin' embarrassin', I won't tell anybody."

Peck swallowed. "Okay," he said. Taking a deep breath, he started with, "Sheriff Callie, t-there's somethin' that I've been meanin' to tell you for a while. Truth is, the reason I was worried 'bout that Timothy fella takin' you away is because-"

"Oh, Sheriff! I have somethin' to give-oh...I-I'm sorry. Was I interruptin' somethin'?"

Callie and Peck both turned around to face Cody, the town's mailman, who stared at them with wide eyes. Following his line of sight, they then realized that they were still holding hands. Peck froze up, but Callie took up answering for him. "Ah, no, not really, Cody," she replied. She let go of Peck's hand and walked over to the roadrunner, who was fishing out a large package from inside his mailbag. "What's goin' on?"

"You've got a package, Sheriff," Cody said, handing her the box in question. "Don't know who'd be sendin' it, though. There's no return address!"

"Hmm...I'll check it out," she said. "Thanks, Cody!"

"Anytime, Sheriff! I'd love to stay an' chat, but I've gotta run!" Cody said. "See ya!" And before either of them could say a word, he was gone.

Callie walked inside the office, but paused and then turned towards Peck. "You said you had somethin' that you were gonna tell me?" she asked.

"Oh, uh...n-nothin', Sheriff. It wasn't anythin' important," Peck replied quickly. "You go on' an' see to your package."

"Well, if you're sure, Peck," she said. She made her way inside, placing the package on the floor. "This has gotta be the biggest thing I've ever gotten!"

"What is it?" Toby asked, walking over to the sheriff.

"Only one way to find out," she replied. Using a knife she had on hand, she cut the tape that sealed the top of the box, set the knife aside, and then pried open the package. She gasped. "What in whiskers?" She pulled out a box of chocolates that was nearly as big as the box itself. "Who in the world would send me somethin' like this?"

"Probably another suitor, I reckon," Toby said.

"You know, I'm gettin' right tired of all these suitors," Peck huffed.

"Well, let's hope this one's better than the last one," Callie replied. She pulled off a piece of paper that was attached to the box. "At least he had the decency to leave a note." She opened it and started reading. "'Dear Sheriff, I know that this isn't quite the apology that you wanted, but I do hope it makes up for my crude behavior several days ago. And please send Deputy Peck my apologies as well; I tend to say things that I don't mean when I'm angry. I do hope you'll give me another chance, and if you're up for it, we can still go for that tuna salad sandwich. Signed, Timothy.'"

"Timothy sent you another gift?" Toby said.

"Along with another offer for a date," Callie sighed, a hint of irritation in her voice. "Reckon he's right set on havin' me as his girlfriend."

"Well, he'll just have ta get unset on it!" Peck replied. "Ain't nobody comin' in here an' messin' with the sheriff, not on my watch!"

Callie stared at Peck as he walked out the door. "Peck, what are ya doin'?" she asked.

"I'm gonna go out there an' tell him to back off," Peck said. "It's like ya said a few days ago, Sheriff. He thinks you're some sort of prize, an' you're not. I'm gonna change that thinkin' of his, on account of I'm the deputy of this here town!"

The door shut behind him with an ominous slam. Toby turned towards Callie.

"Uh...you think we should go after him?" he asked worriedly. "Sometimes, Peck gets himself into trouble when he does somethin' like this."

"That'd be the best idea, Toby," Callie said. "Come on."

With that, both Callie and Toby rushed out of the office.

* * *

Peck walked into the hotel, where the hotelier, a tan-furred coyote, was currently engaged in paperwork. He looked up briefly at Peck before burying himself in his work again. "Yes, what is it, Deputy?" he asked.

"Excuse me, I'd like to know where a fella named Timothy is stayin'," Peck answered. "The townsfolk told me that he was in here."

"Timothy...Timothy..." The hotelier pushed aside a messy stack of papers to check his log book, running a claw under every name listed. "Ah, bingo. He's here. He's staying in Room 236."

"Thank ya kindly, sir," Peck said, walking up the stairs.

Before turning back to his work, the manager turned towards Peck. "Is it legal trouble, Deputy?" he asked.

Peck paused. "You could say that," he replied carefully, and then continued on his way up. It wasn't long before he reached the second floor and he walked down the hallway, checking every door.

His deal with Timothy wasn't legal trouble, per se, although charges of harassment could be applied. No, his deal with this cat was on a personal level, and today he was going to handle it once and for all, no matter what he had to do.

It didn't take him long to find the door. He knocked on it three times and waited for someone to answer. A few seconds later, a calm "Come in" filled the air. Peck turned the doorknob, finding that it was unlocked, and stepped inside. The room was spacious and filled with bright colors, and came complete with a vanity, a closet, a king-sized bed, and several sitting chairs near the window.

And sitting in the chair closest to the window was Timothy, who was sipping from a cup of coffee. He paused when he saw Peck standing there, and his lips formed a smile. "Ah, Deputy Peck. I didn't expect ya to be there. To be honest, I was hopin' it'd be the sheriff," he said.

"You think she'd come lookin' to spend time with you, after you've been harassin' her repeatedly?" Peck demanded.

Timothy shrugged. "I can't help it; ladies love me," he said simply.

"More like they don't have a choice but to," Peck snarled.

"Oh, I give 'em a choice...for the first few times, at least," Timothy said, stirring his coffee cup casually. "Whatever I want, I get."

Peck couldn't help but feel sick to his stomach. "Well, you wasted yer time on Sheriff Callie. She obviously doesn't love ya. And you ain't gonna get her, either," he said.

"I assume she got the gift I sent her?" Timothy asked, taking another sip.

"Yeah, an' she didn't like it one bit."

"More like _you_ didn't like it one bit," Timothy countered. He set the cup down and gave Peck a condescending look. "Honestly, Deputy, why can't you get over my liking her?"

"Because after what you've done, comin' after her even when she told ya no, an' threatenin' to make her yours...honestly, why would I allow someone like you to try courtin' her?" Peck snapped. "She doesn't love you!"

"She certainly doesn't love you, either," Timothy said. He paused. "You know what I think, Peck? I'm thinking of that same thing I told you about a few days ago. You don't want me around the sheriff because you hope to get her for yourself." He laughed. "Typical. You think you're better than me."

Peck's hand balled into a fist. "For your information, I _am_ better than you. I'd never force Callie to be mine, 'specially if she told me that she didn't like me that way," he said.

"And why would she like you? You two ain't even the same species!" Timothy said. "Imagine a cat like her with a woodpecker like you. It's enough to make one shudder, right?"

Peck's balled fist shuddered again. "You'd better take that back..."

"I'm pretty sure the sheriff knows the standards," Timothy continued. "She wouldn't be caught dead with you as her boyfriend. I wouldn't be surprised if she rejected ya the same way she rejected me. In fact, I'd laugh."

Heat flared onto Peck's face. "E-Even if she did...I wouldn't go after her, not like you have," he said. "I value her as a person, not...not a conquest! An' she's more than jus' the person I love, she's my friend! An' I'd never do somethin' to damage our friendship, unlike you, who'd shower her with unwanted attention 'til she snaps an' decides to go with ya jus' so you can leave her alone!"

Timothy sighed. "Now that we've got out points across, I'll have to ask you to leave. I have an appointment with the sheriff," Timothy said, standing up.

"You ain't goin' anywhere, Timothy." Peck stepped into the room, his eyes set into a hard glare. "This is gonna be the only time I say it: _back off_. You ain't gettin' to her, not while I have anythin' to say about it."

"Like I said, Peck," Timothy said, smiling, "whatever I want, I get."

The door slammed shut. Peck whirled around to face a large deer with a baton raised over his head. He slammed the baton into Peck's head, sending stars in his vision. In his blurry state, he didn't see two other cats coming towards him with bats. He had no time to defend himself; a whack to the head from both sent him to the floor, his head exploding with pain.

He heard muffled laughter, and he groaned. "Ugh...you...y-you tricked me..."

"An' you fell for it, hook, line an' sinker," Timothy said. He turned towards the deer. "Whitetail, get a bucket. I told ya I was gonna make a couple of bucks offa his feathers."

"Y-You wouldn't-"

"Oh, I would. An' I bet Sheriff Callie will agree to go out with me when she sees you," he said. He leaned in close to Peck's ear, a mocking smile on his face. "Of course, she'd do it only so her poor, stupid deputy doesn't lose any more of his dignity, but in time, she'll learn to love me." He chuckled. "She'll learn, jus' like the others."

As Whitetail started plucking off his feathers, Peck mentally sent up a prayer. _Callie, if you're out there, help!_

* * *

The doors to the hotel slammed open again, and the hotelier looked up in irritation. "What's going on now?"

"Excuse me," Callie started, "but have ya seen my deputy?"

"Your deputy..." The coyote scratched his chin. "Ah, right! He went upstairs looking for someone named Timothy. I gave him the room number an' everything! He's up in Timothy's room. Room 236."

Toby turned towards Callie. "That sure explains where he went," he said.

"Come on, Toby! We've gotta find 'im before it's too late!" Callie cried.

She and her deputy rushed up the stairs, heading directly for Timothy's room. Skidding to a stop in front of it, Callie knocked on the door.

"Peck? Deputy Peck, are you in there?" she shouted, knocking on the door.

A loud, muffled cry came from inside, followed by a thump, and someone hissing "Shut yer beak!" A second later, Timothy said, "Come in, Sheriff. I'm always open to visitors."

Callie opened the door, and what she saw made her and Toby gasp in shock. Peck was in the center of the room, hog tied and missing most of his feathers. Surrounding him were two other cats, colored a cream orange and a light grey, respectively, and a whitetailed deer who stood behind Peck with a bucket that was filled with his feathers. The woodpecker looked up forlornly at the calico. He tried to speak, but his beak was taped shut.

Timothy stepped in front of Peck then, a smile on his face. "About time ya showed up, Sheriff," he said.

Callie's paws balled into fists. "What have you done to Peck?" she demanded.

Timothy and his crewmembers laughed. "Oh, he shot off his big beak when he wasn't supposed to," he said. "So, I decided that we'd teach him a lesson."

Toby stepped forwards, a rare angry expression on his face. "Let 'im go!" he cried. "He was jus' defendin' the sheriff from someone like you!"

"No, he was stickin' his beak where he didn't belong!" Timothy snapped. He paused, took a deep breath and then said, "Listen...I can make this whole situation go away, Sheriff. I'll let Peck go an' return the feathers I plucked...if you promise to go out with me."

Callie shuddered. "Not a chance," she said, disgust in her voice. "Why would I want to go out with you after what you've done?"

"Because if you don't..." Timothy reached down and plucked one of Peck's feathers out. The woodpecker let out a muffled shout of pain, and the cat laughed. "I can keep goin' 'til they're all gone. An' goodness knows that it'll take weeks for those feathers to grow back." He plucked another feather out of Peck's head. "So, what will it be, Sheriff?"

Peck shook his head frantically, his voice muffled. Toby turned towards Callie. "Don't do it, Sheriff!" he pleaded.

 _Trust me, I don't want to,_ she thought. She looked at Timothy and then at Peck. _But I've gotta get Peck out of here._ Sighing, she said, "Alright, I'll do it."

Toby gasped, while Peck's eyes widened in fear. Timothy brightened. "Wonderful!" he said.

"But only if you hold to your end of the bargain," Callie said, glaring at Timothy.

"Right, yes, of course," Timothy said. He turned towards Whitetail. "Whitetail, cut 'im loose."

Whitetail pulled out a knife and cut through the bindings that held Peck's wrists and ankles. Both sets of limbs hit the floor with a hard thud. "Heh, he looks more like a chicken than a woodpecker now," he said.

He prepared to rip off the tape covering Peck's beak, but that was when Peck's right foot slammed into his chest, sending him flying backwards. Everyone gasped in surprise as the deer crashed into the wall.

Timothy snarled as he glared at Peck. "You were waitin' for 'im to cut you loose, weren't you?"

Peck peeled off the tape covering his beak. "Yes, I was! An' now that I'm free, I'm gonna take care o' you an' your lot once an' for all!"

"Not a chance! Heinz, Jacques, get 'im!" Timothy yelled, turning towards his two feline companions.

"Sheriff, run!" Peck cried before he was pounced on. He squirmed and struggled under the two cats, who were trying to pin him down. "G-Get goin' while you still can!"

"I ain't leavin' you here, Peck!" Callie said, pulling out her lasso. "An' I'm not about to let these fellas have their way!"

"Neither am I!" Toby said, getting into a fighting stance.

Timothy rushed forwards, aiming for the sheriff, but Toby got to him first, tackling him to the ground. Timothy yelled in surprise and pain as they flew through the air. Whitetail, who was sitting up, was knocked back down by his boss and Toby.

Peck tried to fight back, but the cats on top of him were kicking and scratching him left and right. Jacques raised his boot high in the air, his spur aimed at Peck's face. "Here's somethin' to remember us by, Deputy!" he said, laughing.

He didn't get to hit him in the face. A familiar gold noodle lasso latched around Jacques' leg, and before the feline could react, Callie yanked the lasso, sending him falling to the ground. Heinz had no time to move before she tied him up with the lasso; even with all his struggling, he couldn't move.

Peck sighed with relief as Callie came over to him, and extended his hand to hers. "Thanks, Sheriff," he said. He looked down at himself, noticing that he had almost no feathers, and he sighed. "I-I know I look worse for wear right now, but-"

Callie embraced him in a hug. "I don't care 'bout how ya look right now, Peck! I'm just relieved you're alright!" she said. "You have no idea how worried I was..."

"Sheriff, I-"

A loud shout interrupted Peck's sentence. The next thing he knew, something sharp hit his back, and he screamed in pain. He turned around to find the source of the disturbance, and both he and Callie gasped in shock.

 _"Toby!"_ they both cried. The cactus was sitting behind Peck, looking dazed. He had a few bruises on his body, and some of his thorns were missing.

"Ugh...s-sorry, Sheriff. Sorry, Peck. I tried ta hold 'im off," Toby said.

"You put up a good fight, Toby," Timothy snarled, picking thorns out of his fur. "But you'll have ta do better than that if you wanna stop me!"

Peck helped his friend get off of the floor as carefully as he could. He looked up at Timothy, anger on his face. "You...you hurt my best friend, on top of harrassin' Sheriff Callie, an' pluckin' off all my feathers..." He stood up from the ground. "Now you've gone an' done it. Now you've made me _mad_!"

Timothy laughed. "Oh, now you're mad? This ought to be-"

Peck lunged for Timothy, and his hands grasped his shoulders with a vise-like grip. The force of his tackle sent him crashing into the wall again, this time leaving a dent in it.

"Peck!" Callie shouted.

Timothy looked up at the woodpecker, glaring back at him with an equal amount of anger. "You-"

"This is for what you did to Callie!" Peck shouted, and swung. There was a loud _crack_ as his fist met Timothy's face. "This for what you did to Toby!" Another punch. A third punch sent Timothy's head slamming into the floorboards. Peck took hold of Timothy's vest and lifted him up to his face level. "You can do whatever you want to me, but when it comes to them-"

"You'll regret those words, Peck," Timothy said.

Callie's eyes widened. "Peck, watch out!" she shouted.

That warning alone saved Peck's life. He shoved Timothy backwards just as the cat's claws came flying upwards, aimed at his face. Though he leaned backwards to avoid the blow, his wing, unprotected by his feathers, was not so lucky. He yelped in pain and fell backwards, grasping the wound.

"You think that's bad, Deputy? You ain't seen nothin' yet!" Timothy said, getting to his feet. "I've got more where that came from!"

Peck got his feet as well, flexing his injured arm. "Funny, 'cause so do I!"

"Fellas, you've gotta stop!" Toby yelled.

"Shut up, cactus!" Timothy snapped. "This is between me an' Deputy Peck!"

"Nobody's talkin' to my friend like that an' gettin' away with it!" Peck snarled.

"What can you do? You only have one good arm!" Timothy said. His claws extended. "You got off lucky, Peck. But when I hit you this time, I aim to kill you."

Toby gasped. Almost immediately, Callie tossed him a pair of handcuffs, which he almost dropped. He looked at the calico cat in confusion. "Uh, Sheriff-"

"Toby, snap those on Jacques and Heinz," Callie ordered. There was no argument in her voice. "I'm gonna untie 'em an' stop Timothy once an' for all."

Timothy growled. "You try that, Sheriff, an' I'll gut you, too!" he shouted.

Callie released the bindings on Jacques and Heinz. Before the two could escape, Toby rushed over to them and snapped on the handcuffs. "I don't think you two are goin' anywhere for a while," he said.

Callie turned to Timothy then, her grip on her lasso tightening. "Timothy, you're under arrest," she said.

"I don't think so, Sheriff!" Timothy cried. He lunged for her, his one claw outstretched.

Callie barely had time to ready her lasso before Peck leapt in the way, shouting, "Not on your life, Timothy!" He caught Timothy in a flying tackle, and the two flew through the air and hit the wall. There was a loud _crash_ as the wall gave way, and both Peck and Timothy went through it, screaming as they fell. Another loud crash filled the air as they hit the ground.

 _"NO!"_ Toby screamed.

Callie ran over to the hole in the wall, her lasso trailing at her heels. "Peck! Timothy!" she yelled. She looked down at the ground and saw both Peck and Timothy lying there in a heap of debris. Timothy was groaning in pain and trying to move, but Peck was face down on the ground, motionless.

Terror the likes of which she'd never felt before gripped her then, threatening to take her breath away. Her eyes watered with tears as she mouthed one word: "P-Peck..."

In a matter of seconds, the residents of Nice n' Friendly Corners were running out to see what had happened, having heard the crash. Horrified gasps filled the air.

"Oh my goodness!" Uncle Bun cried. "What in the world happened here?"

Priscilla gasped. "It's Deputy Peck! An' he's been plucked clean of his feathers!"

"An' it's that crazy suitor that was after the sheriff!" Dusty exclaimed. "Reckon they must've had a fight!"

"Someone, go get Doc! These two could be seriously hurt!" Baxter Badger cried.

Toby looked at Callie. "W-What do we do now, Sheriff?"

"T-Take those two down the office, Toby," she said. She answered with her back to him, her eyes focused on her deputy. "An' make sure they don't go anywhere."

"W-What about you?"

When Callie turned to face him, tears were falling down her face. "I-I've gotta go an' help 'em," she said. "I-I've gotta go an' get them outta there!" She then ran out of the room, her lasso flailing behind her.

Toby made his way downstairs with Jacques and Heinz, and it was then that he ran into the manager, who was running up the stairs. "What kind of racket was that?" he muttered, turning down the hallway.

"Um..." That was all Toby got to say before the coyote's scream of horror filled the entire hotel.

"WHAT HAPPENED IN HERE?!" he yelled.

Toby ushered the cats out of the hotel as fast as he could. "Move it, move it, move it!" he urged, throwing open the door and getting them through the door.

As he walked to the sheriff's office, he got a glimpse of Callie helping Dusty and Dirty Dan lift Peck onto a stretcher, while Farmer Stinky and Baxter Badger were lifting Timothy onto the other one. The worry on Callie's face was unmistakable, and her eyes were glossed over with tears.

Toby sighed, shaking his head as he led the cats to the office. "Peck...please don't leave us," he said. He sniffled. "I-I wouldn't know what to do if ya did..."

 **End of Part 2**

* * *

 _ **This chapter was supposed to be titled, "Sudden Actions, Hidden Feelings", but then I realized that Peck doesn't actually confess to Callie in this chapter-he started to, but he was interrupted by Cody (bad timing, dude). The main event was the Peck vs. Timothy fight, hence why this chapter was renamed to "The Confrontation".**_

 ** _I wasn't exactly planning to have Timothy go this far off the deep end. Really, I wasn't. But when I was writing the scene where Peck confronted him, I decided to expose more of him. And when I wrote the part where he tortured Peck in front of Callie, I decided to make him to be more of a sadistic type who thinks he's got it under control but he absolutely loses it when his plans go wrong. In other words, he ended up turning out similar to Julian Maverick, my Veggie Tales OC, only difference being that he likes controlling people rather than money (although he is greedy, too)._**

 ** _I tried to balance this out a bit with some fluff and humor, but a part of me was really itching to get to the Peck and Timothy fight. And I know I said I wasn't going to make this a T story, but I'll have to bump it up now because of what happened in this chapter. *sighs* I need help..._**

 ** _The third part will deal with the aftermath of such a fight, especially since Peck tackled Timothy straight through a hotel wall and into the street. Oh, and it'll be heavy on Callie/Peck feels. This chapter did an okay job of that, but it was mostly on Peck's side._**

 ** _I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Constructive criticism is great!_**

 ** _God bless, iheartgod175_**


	3. The Confession

**A/N:** Here's part three of _You've Got My Attention..._ which is currently the one story that has my attention as of late :D And this time, the other stuff I mentioned originally in chapter 1 will happen in here. Definitely, I swear!

So, I guess there's not much else to say other than grab your popcorn and drinks, and enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** *points at the last two chapters of the story because I'm too lazy*

* * *

 **You've Got My Attention**

 **Part 3: The Confession**

The door to the jail cell shut with a satisfying _click,_ and Toby locked the doors. "Well, that takes care of that," he said. "You two stay put while I see what's goin' on."

Jacques and Heinz grumbled in response, and Toby decided he'd have to take that as an answer for now. He peered out the door to get a good look of the scene in front of him. Most of the citizens were clearing away the wood, while others were standing around talking. Worry was on the faces of everyone present, some of them looking worriedly in the direction of the doctors' office, where they'd taken both Timothy and Peck. Sheriff Callie wasn't among the crowd, and it didn't take Toby long to figure out where she went.

Toby shook his head. "Oh, Peck...please be okay," he said, tears in his voice.

* * *

"How'll he hold up, Doc?" Callie asked Doc Quackers.

The green-feathered mallard turned towards her, adjusting his stethoscope around his neck. "Well, I'd say Timothy's pretty lucky. He escaped with a few broken bones an' several cuts, as well as a black eye," he said. "He'll be in casts for a while, but he'll make it."

"Actually, I-I was askin' about my deputy," she said, looking over at Peck's prone form from the other side of the room. The woodpecker had bandages on his wing, his chest and his head, which was the only part of him that still had most of his feathers. His face wasn't creased with any marks of pain, so he appeared to be sleeping. Even so, Callie couldn't help but be worried. "Is he gonna be alright?"

"I'm sure he will. He's got a broken wing and a few broken ribs, too, due to that fall he took," Doc Quackers answered. "He'll probably need a lot of bedrest for a while, too, but he'll be fine. He's jus' knocked out."

A weak cough came from the other side of room. "Tch, serves 'im right," Timothy rasped.

Something snapped in Callie then. "Serves 'im right?!" she yelled, startling Doc Quackers. "How could you say somethin' like that? Peck was savin' his friends!"

"Sheriff, the only reason he's in here is 'cause he came lookin' for a fight," Timothy croaked. "An' he lost, badly. A bird can't fight a cat. You of all people should know that, bein' the sheriff an' all. Or maybe you're jus' so darn protective over that little loudmouth that ya forgot the difference between right an' wrong."

Callie marched over to him. "I'd like ya to say that to my face!" she growled.

Timothy still had the strength to smirk. "I said, you forgot the difference between right an' wrong. After all, do you think that the people of this town would take to you an' that deputy of yours datin'? It's enough to make me hurl," he said. "Cats n' birds...they were never meant to be anythin' other than enemies. Everyone knows that." His smirk widened. "Well, I'd say almost everyone."

There was a flash of fur as Callie brought her claws down towards his shirt, yanking him out of the bed with the force. Doc Quackers stared in fear, while Timothy started to shudder with laughter. Callie wanted nothing more than to wipe that smirk right off his face.

"S-Sheriff-" Doc started.

"Well, this is a side of the sheriff I've never seen before," Timothy chuckled.

"I've tried bein' nice to you, Timothy," she said, her eyes narrowing. "I've politely turned ya down, I've told ya upfront to your face that I want nothin' to do with you, an' I've even tried to give you the most merciful option in surrenderin'. But you just keep pushin' me, tryin' to see how far you can go 'til you make me give in. Well, guess what, Timothy? Your little tactic didn't work. In fact, you've actually made me mad!"

Doc Quackers carefully stepped towards the sheriff. "Sheriff Callie, y-you should really put him down," he said. An angry Callie was a rare sight in Nice 'n Friendly Corners, but he'd never seen her get this angry before.

"An' let him keep insultin' my deputy? My friend? I don't think so," she answered. Her glare was still locked on Timothy. "I ain't settin' him down until he swears to never say things like that again, about me, 'bout Peck, or anybody else!"

Doc Quackers looked at Timothy, who was still smirking. The mallard couldn't help but wonder if he was insane. "Uh...y-you might want to do what she says," he said. "Otherwise..."

Timothy sighed. "Well, as much as I like havin' fun, I ain't about to lose my fur to do it," he said. His smirk disappeared, replaced with a frown. "You win, Sheriff. I'll stop insultin' you an' your deputy."

"Swear it," Callie ground out.

"Pardon?"

"Swear it, or one of these is gonna meet your face," she said, motioning to her claws, which were still buried in his shirt.

Again, Timothy sighed. "I swear it, Sheriff. Scout's honor an' everythin'," he said.

Dead silence filled the air for a moment, and for a moment, Doc Quackers thought that Callie was actually going to carry out her threat. He was relieved when she set Timothy back down on the bed, none too gently, and walked away. Her eyes were hidden by the brim of her hat.

"S-Sheriff...?" he asked. "Are ya alright?"

"I'll be fine, Doc. I need to go for a bit of fresh air," she answered. "Let me know when Peck wakes up, alright?"

"Alright, Sheriff," Quackers said. "Though it might take a while."

As soon as the door closed, Timothy settled back into bed, a scowl on his face. "Reckon my friends were right in givin' up on her," he said. "A gal who'd go around with everythin' ain't my type."

Doc Quackers frowned, and then he sighed. It was going to be a long night, that was for sure.

* * *

Callie sat outside on the porch of the sheriff's office, her hat sitting next to her. It felt so strange, being in the same spot where she and Peck had been earlier that morning, and not having the woodpecker out and about. She buried her face in her hands, trying to forget her brief loss of temper with Timothy a few moments ago. As the sheriff, she should've known better. She shouldn't have threatened him like that, said things like that. Such things weren't tolerated in Nice 'n Friendly Corners.

A part of her argued that Timothy had been asking for it, with his repeated insults against Peck and his condescending remarks towards her. True, he shouldn't have gotten away with remarks like that, but there were better ways to handle it rather than attempting to claw his face off.

And to think that she'd been that close to doing it made her feel worse.

The door to the sheriff's office opened behind her, and she turned to see Toby walking out with two cups of milk. "Hey, Sheriff. Figured you might want some of this," he said.

Despite herself, Callie smiled. "Thanks, Toby," she said, graciously accepting the cup. Toby sat next to her on the porch, sipping his milk from a straw. "I actually need this right now."

"I thought you were down at the doc's office waitin' for news on Peck," he replied.

"I was. But I had ta get outta there," Callie said before taking a long drink from her glass.

"How come?" Toby asked.

"Timothy is why," Callie answered.

"What'd he do?" Toby questioned.

Callie sighed, and then told him everything that he'd done, as well as what she'd done in response. When she was finished, Toby almost dropped his glass in shock.

"Holy moly," he gasped. "That sounds intense!"

"It was. An' for a brief moment, I thought about finishin' what Peck started. After what he said, mockin' Peck an' my friendship with him, I really, really wanted to make him pay. But a part of me knew that it wasn't right," Callie explained. "I'd never go that far to get revenge, no matter how angry he made me."

"Also, Peck wouldn't have wanted ya to do somethin' like that," Toby said. "He would've been glad to see Timothy get his lickin's, though, but not goin' so far as to rip his fur off in return. It's a good thing that ya stopped yourself when you did, or you would've done somethin' you regretted."

"Thanks, Toby. And I'm glad, too," she said.

A few moments of silence passed between them, and then Callie said, "There was one thing that Timothy said earlier though, an' I hate to admit this, but he could be right."

"What could he be right about?" Toby asked.

"Peck went out there lookin' for Timothy, to confront him. Reckon what he was sayin' about Peck goin' there could be true," Callie said. "But even so, I don't understand why he'd get that defensive. I understood his worry, but I told him myself that I could handle Timothy an' that he didn't have anythin' to worry about."

Toby stared at her in surprise, his glass about ready to drop from his hand again. "You mean...you didn't know why he went after Timothy?"

"Well, I figured he did it 'cause he wanted to help," Callie said. She looked at the cactus in confusion. "Why? Is there another reason?"

"Uh...I think I should actually let Peck tell ya," Toby answered quietly, turning back to his milk.

"Toby-"

"I promised 'im I wouldn't tell, Sheriff Callie. An' as his best friend, I don't wanna break his word," Toby said.

"I see," Callie answered, eyeing Toby. First Peck had been acting anxious, now Toby was acting secretive. She was more than certain that something was rather off, but she didn't want to press her second deputy even more. She downed the rest of her milk, and then got up from the ground. "You can head on over to Ella's for a spell, Toby. I'll stay an' guard the prisoners for a while."

"You sure, Sheriff?"

"I'm sure, Toby. You go on an' take a break, an' if you want, you can stop by an' see how Peck's doin'," Callie answered. "After that, we'll rotate."

"Thanks, Sheriff. To be honest, I've got a hankerin' for a milkshake." Toby set his glass aside and bounded down the steps of the porch. He turned towards Callie. "Hey, if Peck wakes up tomorrow, can we bring him a trail mix milkshake?"

"Sure, providin' he's up to it," Callie said. "See ya in a little while, Toby."

As she made her way inside, she couldn't help but frown. "If" was the key to this whole situation. What if Peck didn't wake up tomorrow? Or worse, what if he didn't wake up at all? What if he-

She shook those thoughts from her head. She couldn't afford to doubt that Peck would pull through, not now. If there was one thing about her deputy, he was a fighter. He certainly wouldn't die, not when he had so many people that counted on him, that cared about him. He'd been in scrapes before and came out of those just fine-well, mostly rattled, but fine nonetheless.

 _Once Toby gets back here, I'm stayin' the night at Doc Quackers,_ she thought to herself. _Peck stood up for me, an' I wouldn't call myself his friend if I didn't do the same._

* * *

"Hey, Ella. Can I have another deluxe milkshake?" Toby asked despondently.

Ella looked at him in surprise. "Why, you've already had three, Toby!" she exclaimed. "Any more an' you're gonna get a stomachache!"

A low growl came from Toby's stomach at that, and he groaned, resting his face against the counter. "On second thought, maybe you're right," he said.

"What's got ya drinkin' all those milkshakes anyway?" Dirty Dan asked, taking a sip from his caramel milkshake.

After raising his head from the table, he proceeded to tell Dirty Dan everything that Callie had told him earlier. When he was finished, most of the people at the milk saloon were gasped in surprised.

"Well, I'll be. That's the first time I've ever heard of Sheriff Callie gettin' that angry," Dusty remarked.

"I can't say I blame the sheriff. I mean, I'd be none too gentle with that fella, either, after what he said about her and Deputy Peck!" Priscilla remarked.

"Even so, I can see why she'd be feeling that way. Callie always tries to find the right thing to do without hurting anyone. Coming that close to doing something that'd bring her to his level must've been jarring for her," Tio Tortuga said.

"Well, I don't feel sympathy for that Timothy fella, not one bit," Dusty said.

"Here, here!" the others called out.

As Ella started taking the empty glasses, she asked, "So, Sheriff Callie really has no idea why Peck was so defensive?"

"Nope. I wanted to tell her, but then I'd be breakin' my promise to Peck. I wanted him to tell her himself," Toby said.

"Well, he'd better do it soon, or else we'll have ta tell her for 'im!" Dusty said. "He's been sayin' that he was gonna tell her for a while now. An' he still hasn't said a word!"

"I sure hope he wakes up soon," Dirty Dan pointed out. "It'd be right awful if he never does get the chance to tell 'er how he feels."

"Promise me you won't say a word about this to Callie, guys," Toby said.

"You can count on us, Toby," Ella said. "Our lips are sealed."

Toby smiled. "Thanks, Ella." He got down from the stool, and pulled out some gold coins to pay for his drinks. "If ya don't mind, I'm gonna head out to visit Peck before I head back to the office."

"Take care, Toby!" Tio called.

"Oh, an' do send our regards to the sheriff!" Priscilla called out.

"Thanks, I will!"

* * *

 _An hour later..._

Callie strummed a few chords on her guitar, but she couldn't bring herself to sing anything, not with the amount of thoughts that was going through her head. Not with the worry that was threatening to eat away at her.

Sighing, she set the guitar aside and rested her face in her hands, a despondent look on her face. "Aw, Peck...why'd ya have to go an' do somethin' like that?" she muttered. "Now ya've gone an' got me sick with worry..."

The door slammed open again for the umpteenth time, almost sending Callie out of her chair and onto the ceiling. "Sheriff Callie! Sheriff Callie!" Toby shouted.

"Sweet Sassafras, Toby! Don't scare me like that!" Callie admonished. "You nearly scared me outta my fur!"

Toby gave a small, nervous smile. "Sorry, Sheriff. But I couldn't help it. Peck's awake!" He jumped up and down excitedly. "He's finally awake at last! And the best part is, Timothy's not even in the room this time."

"He isn't?"

"Nope! The doc moved him into another room; reckon he got tired of hearin' Timothy fuss!" Toby said, laughing.

Callie jumped up out of her chair this time, sending her chair clattering against the floor. "That's great!" she exclaimed. "Come on, we've gotta go an' see him while we still have a moment of peace over there."

"Actually, Sheriff, you can go on ahead," Toby said. "I'll come by an' visit Peck later. I know how anxious you are to see him, so I'll let ya talk to him first."

"Are you sure, Toby. I mean, you were just as worried as I was," Callie said.

"I'm sure, Sheriff. Now you'd better go on an' see how he's doin'," Toby said. "I don't know how many people are gonna show up once they hear the news."

"Well, when you put it that way, I'd better go ahead an' go," Callie replied. "I'm trustin' you to keep an eye on the prisoners, alright?"

Toby gave her a salute and a wide grin. "You can count on me, Sheriff!"

Callie didn't wait to give him a thanks, and she quickly rushed out the door. Toby closed the door after her, smiling. _Now it's all up to Peck now..._

* * *

Blinding light filled Peck's eyes and he groaned. "Shucks, how long was I asleep?" he muttered.

"Oh, only a couple of hours," Doc Quackers said. "You should consider yourself lucky; you've gone an' got everyone in a panic!"

"Yeah..." Peck grunted as he pushed himself up in bed. "R-Reckon I have a lot of apologies to make to everyone, huh?"

"Mmhmm. And I imagine you have an apology to make to a certain sheriff?"

Peck stared at Doc Quackers with wide eyes. "Holy jalapeños! Sheriff Callie must be worried sick, an' so is Toby! I didn't see much of 'im before he started shoutin' and runnin' out the door, but knowin' him..." He flung the covers off, only to immediately shout with pain. "Great, now both of my wings are messed up..."

"You're not goin' anywhere, Deputy!" Doc Quackers said, putting the covers back on the injured woodpecker. "You need to sit back and rest. I'm pretty sure Sheriff Callie would put you right back in here if you even tried to run around in your condition."

Peck sighed. "You're right." He smirked a little. "She'd probably use her lasso to do it, too, if I insisted on makin' sure she was alright."

Doc Quackers eyed Peck carefully. "Speakin' of the sheriff, Peck, are you ever gonna tell her about how you feel?"

A small blush came on Peck's face. "Well, I hope to, providin' my nerves don't get the best of me again," he confessed, adding in a nervous laugh.

"Let's hope they don't. 'Cause if they do, there ain't nothin' that's gonna stop the townsfolk from tellin' the sheriff herself," Doc Quackers warned.

"I-I think I get the point, Doc."

The doors to the doctor's office flew open again, and Callie ran inside, anxiety and excitement on her face. "Doc! Toby told me that Peck was awake! How is he?" she asked breathlessly.

Peck couldn't help but chuckle at this. "Well, you can see for yourself, Sheriff Callie," he said proudly.

Callie whirled around to face him, and a grin spread from ear to ear on her face. _"Peck!"_ she cried out joyfully. She rushed over to him and gave him a big hug. "Oh, Peck...thank goodness you're alright!"

"Well...I reckon I'll be stuck in here for a while, but I'm glad to be alive, too, Sheriff," he said. He paused when he felt the calico shudder against him. He stared down at her in shock. "Uh...S-Sheriff Callie? Are ya alright?"

She nodded, her face still buried in his shoulder. "Y-Yeah, I will be, Peck," she said, sniffling. "I-I'm jus' glad that you're s-still here an' you're not gone. I-If you hadn't woken up, I-I would've..." Her next few words were choked with sobs. "I-I probably would've lost it..."

A twinge of guilt coursed through Peck. It was rare to see Callie cry, and the fact that he was the cause of it only made him feel worse. "Sheriff Callie...I-"

"Y-You had no idea how worried I was, Peck," she interrupted. "W-When I saw you tackle Timothy outta that room, an' w-when I saw you layin' there in the street, m-motionless..." Another violent shudder. "I-I didn't know what to do. I-I thought I lost you for good, Peck."

"It's alright, Sheriff," he said softly, at last returning the hug. "I'm gonna be alright. An' I ain't goin' to do anythin' like that again."

"I-I should be shoutin' at ya right now, since that was beyond dangerous," Callie replied. "Y-You could've gotten yourself killed!"

"I did it to save you, Sheriff. I wasn't about to let him hurt you. He would have if you tried to arrest him. An' if he'd done that..." Peck's eyes narrowed. "Nothin' would've stopped me from gettin' him."

Callie looked up at last. Her green eyes, which were slightly puffy due to her tears, were wide with shock. "Peck, you don't have to go that far! I-I would be happy if you put him behind bars, not try to rip his fur off!"

"But Sheriff-!"

"No, Peck. What Timothy did to you-to both of us-was an awful thing. But if we went against him in violence, neither of us would've been any better than him," Callie said. "I-I should know. I almost went off on him."

"Y-You?" Peck exclaimed in shock.

Callie nodded. "He insulted you while you were still knocked out, Peck. An' he told me that cats n' birds weren't meant to be anythin' other than enemies, an' that you were stupid to challenge 'im. I got so angry that I...well...I yanked him right out of his hospital bed, with the full intention of makin' him pay."

"Holy jalapeños..." Peck gasped.

"Thankfully, Doc Quackers talked him into seein' reason, and thankfully, I walked away when I did, or else I would've done somethin' awful to 'im," she continued, her eyes filled with sorrow. "I've never gotten that angry to hurt someone like that, ever."

"I can't blame ya for gettin' angry, Sheriff. I regret not bein' able to see his face," Peck answered, "but I am glad that you didn't hurt 'im. I want you to handle him in your own style, which is bringin' 'em in, no questions asked." He sighed. "And I'm right sorry I did that, Sheriff Callie. I really did want to protect ya from him, and when he came at you, I just acted. But I won't do somethin' that stupid again, partly to keep myself from gettin' in here again."

Callie laughed and wiped her tears. "An' what's the other reason, Deputy Peck?" she prompted.

Peck gave a small smile. "And the other reason's so you won't have ta cry anymore," he said. "I can't stand seein' ya cry, Sheriff Callie, 'specially if I was the cause of it. C-Can ya forgive me?"

"Of course I can forgive you, Peck," she replied, her trademark smile on her face. "Trust me, I wouldn't have hugged ya if I didn't."

Peck chuckled. "Reckon I'm lucky in more ways than one," he said.

Dco Quackers cleared his throat. "Well, as great as it is to see you two reunite, I have another patient to attend to," he said, turning in the direction of Timothy's room. "I'll be back in a little while to check on you, Peck."

Peck started to say something, but the mallard had quickly disappeared into the next room. Callie looked intrigued. "He sure seemed in a hurry to leave," she noted.

"Yeah...an' I think I know why," Peck answered. "He probably didn't want to interrupt our conversation."

"Well, if anythin', Doc Quackers isn't a gossip like Priscilla or Abigail," Callie replied. "So, I reckon he won't say anythin' about what I'm gonna ask ya next."

Peck tensed. "W-What did you wanna ask?"

"Well...Peck, did you really go to Timothy's hotel room to fight 'im?" she asked, turning to face him. Her expression was serious.

"No, I wasn't goin' there to fight 'im! Well...I was prepared in case he started a fight, but I went there specifically to tell 'im to back off," Peck said. "When he started accusin' me of wantin' to...have ya for myself..." He knotted his fingers. "We started arguin' more fiercely after that, an' then his partners ganged up on me."

"Why would he accuse you of that?"

"He said it's the reason why I was so defensive over you!" Peck argued. "But that ain't the reason at all! If I'd done that, I'd be no better than him!" He sighed, realizing that he'd been shouting at her, and lowered his voice. "I saw how uncomfortable you were around 'im, how he'd keep comin' after ya with gifts an' offers to go out on a date even when ya said no. An' when I told him how you really felt...that's when he got nasty."

Callie's eyes narrowed. "What kind of 'nasty' are we talkin' about here? The mean kind?"

"No. The possessive, conquestin' kind," Peck said. "It made me wanna throw up my oatmeal..."

Callie shuddered again. "I knew somethin' was off about 'im. I wasn't able to put my finger on it before, but now I know for sure," she said. "I'm glad I didn't like 'im fully an' found out the truth later. He could've done that to a lot of women!"

"I think he did," Peck said quietly. "When I heard that, I knew I had to stop 'im. I wasn't about to let him ten inches near ya, not if he had his way."

"Even so...it sounds to me that there was a reason you got so defensive like that. You sounded jealous," Callie asked.

"Jealous?!" Peck sputtered. He looked mildly offended. "I wasn't jealous!"

"Earlier today, you were talkin' about changin' his mind about me bein' his girlfriend, Peck," Callie pointed out.

"Well, he needed a good talkin' to! Nobody should be that insistent when someone tells 'em no!"

"Even so, I'm gettin' the feelin' that there's more to this. People don't get that defensive," she replied.

"W-Well, I-"

"Are ya absolutely sure there isn't another reason why you'd go after Timothy like that? 'Cause that's the feelin' that I'm gettin' from this whole thing," she said.

"Another reason!" Peck sputtered out. "You obviously don't see it, do ya, Sheriff? The reason for it was obvious to everyone in town!"

"What reason, Peck?" Callie demanded.

"Cornflabbit, it's because _I love you, Callie_!" Peck shouted loudly.

Callie stared at him, her eyes wider than dinner plates and her face going quite red. A loud gasp came from the next room. Once the gravity of his statement sunk in, Peck also went red. Dead silence filled the room for a few seconds, neither knowing what to do or what to say.

Finally, after the longest minute in history, Callie said, "Y-You...you love me, Peck?"

Peck's face went redder, if that was even possible. "Y-Yeah, I do. An' I have been in love with ya for some time, too," he said.

"And how long is some time, Peck?"

"Uh...since last year, I reckon?" Peck scratched his beak in confusion. "Or maybe it was two years ago; I can't remember."

"Two years ago? Why, Peck...that was when you were first workin' in Nice 'n Friendly Corners," Callie recalled. "You mean to tell me that you were in love with me this whole time?"

"Well, I reckon it's possible. Guess that means I was in love with ya ever since I met ya," he admitted. He twiddled his thumbs when he saw her surprised face. "Either way...most of the cats I'd met weren't the nicest, an' for a while I wasn't fond of 'em much. Then I met you." He smirked to himself, a small blush on his face. "I admit that I took to ya at first because you're pretty. But you're also nice, friendly, tough an' dependable. You'd gotten my attention from day one." He paused. "Actually, I should say that you've still got it."

Gears were turning in Callie's head. "An' the rest of the townsfolk knew, too?" she asked.

He nodded. "It didn't take 'em long to figure it out. I asked 'em all not to say anythin', though," he said. "I wanted to tell you my feelin's myself, but a lot of things kept me from doin' it."

"What kinds of things, Peck?" Callie asked.

"Well...things like what Timothy was sayin'."

Callie's eyes narrowed at the mention of the cat. "What did he say to you?"

"He told me that you probably didn't love me simply 'cause we were different species," he admitted. "H-He said that you wouldn't be caught dead with me as your boyfriend, that you'd reject me-well, reckon I was worried 'bout that anyhow-"

"Peck-"

"A part of me thought that he was doin' it to make me mad, but a part of me knew that it was true. Most of the townspeople supported it, but I didn't know how you'd take it, Callie. You're a cat, an' I'm a woodpecker-a _bird_ ," he said. "I can't change that anymore than I can change how I feel about ya. How'd that look to folks?"

"It wouldn't look different to anybody here in Nice n' Friendly Corners. I've always liked you, Peck," Callie said.

Peck sighed. "Yeah, but probably not in the same way I like you," he said. "Even if that's the case, I won't mind it a bit."

"Peck..."

"I told 'im that I value ya as a person, not as a conquest," he continued. "As much as I love you, Callie, you're more than jus' that. You're one of my friends, and I don't wanna lose our friendship, even if you don't return my feelings." He sighed. "Maybe he's right. Maybe I was jus' wastin' my time on this-"

"Peck, listen to me for a second."

Peck looked up at her in surprise. "Callie..."

"Right now...right now, I'm still tryin' to wrap my head around this. First I have this suitor, an' then I learn that my deputy's in love with me, an' he's been in love with me for a while now," she explained. "I don't want to hurt your feelin's or anythin', but right now...I just don't have an answer for your confession."

"Oh...I see." Peck's expression became downcast, although he tried to brighten it up with a small smile. "Well, I wasn't expectin' you to leap right into my arms immediately, Callie. But if you need some time to think about it, then I won't rush ya..."

"You wouldn't mind if I did that, would ya?"

"Would I mind? Of course I wouldn't mind!" Peck said. "Like I said before, I ain't gonna rush ya into makin' a decision. After all...this is the first time you've ever heard of this, so I get it if ya need some time to think about it."

Callie gave him a small smile in return. "Thanks for understandin', Peck," she answered. "I promise ya, I'll get back to ya on this as soon as I make a decision."

Peck nodded. "I trust you to keep your word, Sheriff," he replied.

A few seconds of awkward silence filled the air. Callie cleared her throat, somewhat loudly.

"Uh...r-reckon we should talk about this later," she said, "probably when everythin' settles down."

"So, uh...what are you an' Toby gonna do now?" Peck asked.

"Well, I'm plannin' to get somethin' to eat. I'll bring ya somethin' back from the saloon," Callie said. "Ya think you can hold down a trail mix milkshake?"

"Hmm...maybe. I can never say no to trail mix," Peck said.

"I'll be back soon, Peck! An' this time, I'll make sure to bring Toby along," Callie said. "He's just as anxious to see ya as I am-er, was." Her face flushed slightly at that. "Right...uh...see ya in a bit, Peck!"

"Bye...Sheriff?" Peck barely got the last word out before Callie hurriedly made her way out the door, her face turning a shade lighter than his feathers.

No sooner had she left than Doc Quackers peered in from Timothy's room, his eyes alight with surprise. "Well, that was an interesting development," he remarked.

"Doc Quackers! Wha-you were listenin' in the whole time?!" Peck shouted. "I thought you were givin' us some privacy!"

"I was...but my curiosity got the best of me," the mallard confessed. "So...things are certainly going to be awkward between you and Sheriff Callie now, aren't they?"

Peck sighed. "They sure are, Doc. They sure enough are."

 **End of Part 3**

* * *

 _ **Well...this didn't quite go as I planned originally.**_

 ** _My original plan was to have Callie accept his feelings right then and there so I could end it, but then when I looked back on it, I realized that I would've probably rushed the relationship and it'd feel like was forced from the get go. So I decided to go this route, which was for her to try and figure out her own feelings for Peck now that she's fully aware of his. Now that we've got Peck's feelings out in the open, it's time to explore what Callie's feelings towards Peck will be._**

 ** _Speaking of Callie, I enjoyed writing her in this chapter. Writing the scene where she nearly went off on Timothy was one of my favorites to write; there are some parallels to Ricochet's fury in the "Protector" arc of "Blazin' Trails". Interestingly enough, both of them went off because the bad guys were mocking their deputies, although in Callie's case there are some romantic hints._**

 ** _The "predators and prey standard" came back in this chapter, and it's part of the reason why Peck held off telling her in fear of being rejected. It'll also come back in the next few chapters, too, with someone who's easily worse than Timothy._**

 ** _In other words, this story's going to be extended, possibly to an eight chapter story in a similar vein to "If Likin' You Is Wrong". Told ya that it'd probably be extended :D_**

 ** _Personally, I connect more with Peck than with Callie (even though I like both of them and ship them together), so writing her is going to be an interesting challenge. And as Doc Quackers said earlier, things are going to be a lot more awkward now between the two._**

 ** _The fourth part...well, I haven't quite figured out what the fourth part will be about yet, but I've already got plans for what happens later down the road, and how it'll effect Callie and Peck's relationship._**

 ** _Thank you to those who have been reviewing and viewing this story thus far. Constructive criticism is welcome and greatly appreciated!_**

 ** _God bless, iheartgod175_**


	4. The Cooldown

**A/N:** Hey, folks. Here is chapter four of _You've Got My Attention_. Thanks a lot for still sticking around and seeing where this little idea is going :D

So, since the last chapter finally got the confession out in the open, I decided that now it's time for things to settle down a bit, hence why this chapter's called "The Cooldown". However, this ain't gonna be all fun and games from now on; as you may have noticed, I changed the original summary, and yes, more stuff's gonna happen in it. But I won't tell you guys what happens, though *evil laugh*

 **Disclaimer:** I'm pretty sure this show wouldn't be on Disney Junior if I did own it.

* * *

 **You've Got My Attention**

 **Part 4: The Cooldown**

"Hey, Sheriff, how long are we gonna be in jail?" Jacques asked.

"Well, considerin' what you fellas did to my deputy, I'd say you two are gonna be in here for a week at least," Callie said.

Heinz groaned. "Well, ain't that jus' perfect."

"You probably shouldn't have been followin' your boss," Toby added. Setting aside his _Sagebrush Sam_ comic, he turned to the sheriff. "Do we really have to listen to them for the rest of the week?"

"Unfortunately," Callie said. Truth be told, she wasn't looking forward to having these two around, either. "Hopefully, if they learn their lesson, they'll be let out early for good behavior."

"I sure hope so." A beat. "So...did you talk to Peck?" Toby asked. The calico hadn't told him anything once she'd gotten back from the saloon, saying that it would have to wait.

"Yeah, I did," Callie replied coolly. "He's in good spirits, though I shouldn't have expected less."

Toby nodded, eyeing the sheriff carefully. "Did he tell ya about what was really goin' on?" he asked. "Did he tell ya why he went after Timothy?"

Callie sighed and put the papers down. Her green eyes were clouded with numerous emotions, with concern being first and foremost. "He did. An' to be honest, I'm quite surprised," she said.

"So does this mean you two will be goin' a-courtin' now?" Toby asked brightly.

"No! I'm not goin' courtin' with anybody 'til I figure out what to do about this!" Callie shouted suddenly. Upon seeing Toby's shocked face, she sighed. "Sorry 'bout that, Toby. I-I didn't mean to go off on ya like that. It's jus'...first I had Timothy to deal with, an' now Peck's comin' in sayin' that he likes me."

"Loves," Toby corrected. "Peck _loves_ you, Sheriff Callie. He has been ever since I came to town."

"I know. I jus' learned that a little while ago," she remarked. "I haven't given him an answer yet, mostly because things are so darn confusin' right now."

"Ah, I see," Toby mused.

"Plus...I don't wanna hurt his feelin's," she added, a sympathetic look on her face. "He'd blurted it out, then he finally started to tell me how he felt. He told me that he'd been waitin' for a long time to tell me, an' I mean...I felt right touched an' flattered by it, but I'm mostly overwhelmed. That's why I couldn't give him an answer."

"Oh..." Silence filled the air for a moment as Toby thought on this. Then he asked, "So...when are ya gonna give 'im an answer?"

"Like I said, I don't know, Toby. An' right now, I need some time to think about it," Callie replied. "I'd really appreciate it if folks didn't bother me about it right now."

"I got it, Sheriff," Toby said. "You can count on me to tell folks to leave it alone...'specially Priscilla an' Abigail. Knowin' Abigail, she'd probably have a story in the paper by next week."

Callie chuckled at the mention of the town's editor-in-chief. "Try the very next day, Toby," she said.

"Right. Still, I won't say a word to nobody about it since ya asked me not to," Toby said.

Callie smiled. "Thanks, Toby."

* * *

The door to Doc Quackers' office opened for the tenth time that day. The green feathered mallard sighed as he got up from his desk. "And here comes another well-wisher," he muttered. He then turned and put on a pleasant smile when he saw who it was. "Ah, Tio, Uncle Bun! What a delightful surprise!"

"Hola, Doc," Tio said. "Uncle Bun and I have come with gifts for Peck." He held up a basket with peppers. "I brought some of my tres colores peppers for him."

"Not to mention my high-quality fruits!" Uncle Bun piped in, holding up a crate.

Doc Quackers blanched. "Why, he couldn't possibly eat all that! Do you _want_ him in here for another week?" he demanded.

"He doesn't have to eat them all at once, Doc," Tio said. He chuckled. "Peck is many things, but he's not greedy."

"Hey! I heard that!"

All three of them turned around to see Peck sitting in bed, with a frown on his face. "An' you guys are lucky I'm in bed, on account of I might jus' arrest ya for insultin' the deputy!" he said.

Everyone laughed, and even though he tried to hide it, a smile came on Peck's face. It felt good to laugh again, especially in light of what had happened earlier.

"So, how are things goin', Peck?" Uncle Bun asked.

"Other than feelin' like I'm gonna drown in all these gift cards, I feel great! Better than great, even! I don't see why I can't get outta here today," Peck reported, sending a hopeful look to Doc Quackers.

Doc's face was stern. _"Absolutely not!"_

Peck sighed. "Well, there went another attempt."

"I expected people to send you gift cards, but so many in only a few hours," Tio marveled, looking at the stacks of cards that sat near Peck's bed.

"Yeah. I haven't read all of 'em yet, an' I probably won't finish readin' 'em 'til I get outta here," the woodpecker replied. "But I did read yours, Tio." He smiled. "That was right nice of ya to say that."

"Oh, don't mention it, Peck," Tio replied. "Besides, I meant that partly as advice for you."

"Advice for me?" Peck repeated.

"For your relationship with the sheriff, of course," the tortoise replied with a small, knowing smile. Upon seeing Uncle Bun's look of utter surprise, he nodded sagely. "Yes, I know about it, too."

"Why, Tio, I never expected ya to know all about that! You usually frown upon such gossip!" Doc Quackers said.

"It is hard to ignore when you two talk about it all the time," Tio said, sending a pointed look in Uncle Bun's direction.

Uncle Bun chuckled nervously. "I-Is that so?" he replied.

Peck sighed deeply. Just as quickly, his happy mood was gone in a flash. "Well, about that whole relationship thing...there ain't one between me an' Sheriff Callie."

Tio's eyes widened. "You mean...she rejected you?"

"Well...not exactly. I told her how I really felt an' all, but she said she was overwhelmed," Peck said. "An' she told me that she wasn't able ta give me an answer right then an' there."

"Hmm...well, did you expect her to just drop everything an' run over to you?" Tio asked.

"No, of course not!" Peck cried. Upon seeing everyone's incredulous expressions, he sighed. "Okay...well, I admit, I was kinda expectin' an answer, not for her ta leap into my arms an' give me kisses all over my face." The image that sentence conjured up made him blush. "N-Not that I can see her doin' that."

"I can't see her doing that," Uncle Bun agreed.

"Thing is...I guess I should've figured she wasn't ready right then an' there. She's got this Timothy fella to worry about, who's not only one of the nastiest people around, but who won't stop goin' after the sheriff," he said. "An' on top of that, she finds out that one of her friends loves her."

"But said friend is anxious for a reply," Tio summarized.

Peck nodded. "You read me like a book, Tio."

"Peck, I know you want a reply, but you can't rush her into deciding," Tio said. "She has to decide now if she likes you the same way you like her, or if you're simply just a friend to her. Rushing her to choose, or forcing her to, would make you no better than Timothy."

"I see...so in other words, the best option for me right now is to back off?"

Tio nodded. "I think that would be best. Give her time. An' who knows, she might come to like you back," he said.

"B-But how are we supposed ta work together when I get back? It's gonna be right awkward between us now," Peck replied.

All three of them looked at each other and then at Peck. "Well, since you two are a sheriff and deputy team, it's kind of inevitable that you'll end up working together. But for now, I recommend holding off talking about it until you know for certain that she's comfortable to do it," Tio said.

"Y-You really think so?"

All three of them nodded. Peck gave them a wide smile. "Thanks for the advice, Tio," he said. "Although...reckon it'll be a little hard to keep all this to myself."

"You managed to keep your feelings to yourself this whole time," Uncle Bun noted. "I think you can manage it a little while longer."

"You're right," Peck replied. "Well, here's to hopin' things don't get any crazier when I finally get outta here."

* * *

 _Twelve weeks later..._

"Alright, now lift that banner jus' a little bit higher...a little more...no, a little lower...now, just a smidge over to the-"

"Toby, we don't have all day!"

Toby chuckled nervously at all the glares that were being sent his way. "Uh, a little higher an' then we'll be fine," he said.

Doc Quackers sighed. "I don't know why you couldn't have said that in the first place!" he grumbled.

"Hey! I want to make sure this is perfect for my best buddy!" Toby protested. He looked up at the large banner that hung over the sheriff's office, and smiled. It read in big red letters 'Welcome Back, Deputy Peck!', and was decorated with miniature caricatures of the townspeople, as well as confetti. "Boy, won't Peck be happy to see this!"

"He sure will, Toby," Callie replied, walking up to him to take a look at the banner herself. "And you all did an amazin' job with the banner as well."

"Thanks, Sheriff!" Uncle Bun said, and similar responses came from the others.

"So, who's gonna be the one to bring Peck here?" Tio asked.

"I'll do it, Tio," Callie offered. "I'd ask Toby to do it, but he's gonna be busy helpin' Ella prepare the snacks for the party. Make sure you guys take your places before Peck gets here, alright?"

"Right!" Toby called.

As Callie hurried off to Doc's office, Baxter Badger walked over to Toby. "Will she be alright? Walkin' back with Peck, I mean," he said.

"Aw, the sheriff's never had trouble escortin' people before," Toby said cheerfully. "I'm sure this won't be any different." He then sauntered off proudly, making his way over to the refreshments table.

Baxter Badger sighed. "That wasn't quite what I meant..."

* * *

Peck examined himself in the mirror, wagging his new tail feathers experimentally. He grinned as he took a look at himself. "Thank goodness my feathers grow back fast, or else I would've had to wear jackets an' jeans for the rest of the month!" he said. He took a look at his wing and his smile waned upon seeing the patches of bare skin. "Still, there are a couple o' feathers that need to start movin' things along..."

Twelve weeks in Doc Quackers' office had been enough to convince Peck to never pull a dangerous stunt again. Aside from not being able to move in order to allow his injuries to heal, he was easily bored, and his friends hadn't been able to come by and see him every day. Timothy had been moved to another room in order to prevent the two of them from getting into another fight. About the only thing he found interesting to do was to count the amount of feathers that were growing back, and even that got boring after a while. Thankfully, due to them being plucked out instead of being clipped, they grew back right away. And Timothy had left the office two weeks before him, so he had no worries about being bothered.

He looked at the three large bags of gifts that he'd received from everyone in town. He'd received so many gift cards and candies that Doc Quackers had put them in a separate room. He had asked-or rather, demanded-that Peck get rid of the gift cards one day when they almost fell on top of his head. Peck refused, since many of the gift cards he'd gotten were homemade and he didn't want to throw out their well-meaning gifts. Toby in particular had sent him about five, one even made out of trail mix, and that had been his favorite.

Sheriff Callie had sent him a few gift cards as well, but hers weren't as girly or as ornate as Priscilla's. They were simple, sweet and to the point, and contained some really nice messages for him as well. Those gift cards weren't in the bag-rather, they were in his vest pocket, tucked away where nobody could see them. She'd also come by to visit him as often as possible, too, though not nearly as often as Toby. It hadn't taken Peck long to notice that Callie had become rather guarded towards him as of late. Little hints had been here and there-shorter conversations, averted eyes, and the occasional dread that she tried to hide whenever he said he had to ask her something.

 _Maybe tellin' her about my feelin's wasn't a good idea after all,_ he thought. _I figured things were gonna be awkward afterwards, but not to the point where things are like this._

The doors to the doctor's office opened, and the person he'd just been thinking about poked her head in the door. For once, her smile reached her eyes as she looked inside. "Howdy, Peck!" she said, stepping inside. "Wow, you look great!"

A small blush came on Peck's face. "G-Gee, thanks, Sheriff," he answered. "To be honest, I'm happy to have most of my feathers back myself. So, how're things goin' back in Nice 'n Friendly Corners?"

"Oh, things are goin' great, Peck. In fact, I came here to bring you to town. We've got a special surprise for ya," Callie said.

Peck brightened. "A surprise? I love surprises!" he said. "I'll get my bags of gift cards an' then we'll be on our way."

She looked over at the bags in question and her eyes widened. "Sweet Sassafras, Peck! How many gift cards did ya get?" he said.

"I've got four piles of 'em. Priscilla gave me twenty," Peck said. He grunted as he hefted one of the bags on his shoulder. "An' everyone else gave me stuff like chocolates an' sour worms an' stuff."

Callie laughed as she took the other bag. "You're gonna have a lot of sortin' out to do when we get back to the office."

"That I will, Sheriff. But I'm right good at organizin' things, on account of I've got a keen eye for detail," he replied.

The two walked out of Doc's office, heading towards the sheriff's office. Peck adjusted the bag on his back and looked at Callie. "You sure you've got that, Sheriff?"

"I'm sure, Peck."

The pair traveled in silence for a while, and it wasn't a comfortable one either. Peck sighed as he looked over at the sheriff, who seemed to find the ground more interesting. He cleared his throat. "Hey, uh...Sheriff Callie?"

Her head snapped up to look at him. "What is it, Peck?"

"Listen...I was thinkin' about this earlier today, 'bout how things are right awkward between us," he began, "an'-"

"What? Aw, come on, Peck. There's nothin' awkward between us," she interrupted quickly. "I mean, we've always been friends, haven't we?"

"Yeah, we have. An' I reckon we'll always be, Sheriff," Peck said. "But what I was tryin' to say is that you don't have to feel uncomfortable around me. I mean...I won't bring up the subject around ya every single time or anythin'. I'd like for us to be the same as always."

"I'd like to be the same as always, too, Peck," Callie said. She offered a small smile. "I wouldn't want ya turnin' the same shade as your feathers every time you talk to me."

Peck chuckled at that. "Neither do I," he said. He sighed. "Thanks, Sheriff."

"Thanks?"

"For sayin' what I was afraid to say for weeks now," he said. "My beak was all twisted an' I didn't know what to say or do."

Callie offered him a sincere smile. "That's alright, Peck. An' you're welcome."

They were soon at the office. Nearly all of the residents of Nice 'n Friendly Corners were outside on the porch of the Sheriff's office, wearing party hats and holding noisemakers. "Welcome back, Deputy Peck!" they all said.

Peck beamed. "Aw, shucks, guys...you didn't have to do all this!" he mentioned as everyone cheered and blew their noisemakers.

"Of course we had to, Deputy Peck!" Priscilla pointed out. "It'd be right rude if we didn't!"

"Especially since you were stuck in a hospital bed for so long," Farmer Stinky drawled. "Figured you'd like somethin' else for a change."

"You were right about that, Farmer Stinky," Callie said. "Peck was tellin' me about how bored he was."

"I'll be back down after I finish putting these in my room," Peck said, holding up one of his bags. "After that, it's time for the festivities!" He turned to Sheriff Callie. "After you, Sheriff Callie."

"Why, thank you, Deputy," Callie said, walking in front of her deputy and leading the way inside.

As soon as they entered the room, Farmer Stinky turned to Priscilla. "Did he tell her yet?" he asked.

"Maybe he did, or maybe he didn't!" his cousin replied. "She didn't say a word about it to anybody."

"An' neither has Toby, come to think of it," Uncle Bun said.

"Everyone, let's just wait until she's ready to talk about it," Tio said. "This is a party welcoming Peck back, not a show to expose his love life."

"Did I hear someone mention my name?" Peck asked, stepping onto to the porch.

"Ah, we were just saying how great is for you to be back!" Dirty Dan lied quickly, and everyone nodded.

"Hmm...okay, then," Peck said. "Now then, let's go n' have ourselves a party!"

* * *

 _Hundreds of miles away from Nice 'n Friendly Corners_

"So, that's it? You're just going to walk away from that two-bit town and let that woodpecker have his way?" Heinz asked.

Timothy didn't say anything, instead choosing to sip quietly from his cup of tea. The scenery whipped past them in a blur, and once or twice the train they were on hit a stray rock, causing the dining car they were in to jolt a bit. Setting his cup down, he said, "Of course it ain't it, you numbskull. The problem is that I let my emotions get the best of me back there," he said. "That's what allowed Callie an' that woodpecker to get away. I just have to be more prepared next time."

Whitetail munched on a piece of toast lathered with strawberry jam. "Next time, eh?"

"When I set foot in Nice 'n Friendly Corners again, I'm gonna get what rightfully belongs to me," Timothy said. He smirked as he took another sip of his tea. "And I believe that I know just how to do it, too."

* * *

 _Later that night..._

 _"Ahh..."_ Peck allowed himself to flop facefirst into the pillow, only to shout in pain as his body collided with the hard mattress. He groaned as he sat up. "Reckon I'm gonna have to get used to this again after spending so long in the hospital beds."

The party had been great, filled with food, drinking and dancing until the moon had reached high into the sky. Peck had figured that he'd be partying until the sun came up, but six hours of being up on his feet had proved to be enough for one day. Callie and Toby had ushered him into bed, saying they'd come up to bed later after putting away the decorations.

He looked around his room, relieved to see that it was still the same as it had been before he'd left. It felt good to be in his room again, though; he certainly didn't miss the stale smells in Doc's office.

He got up and walked over to his bag of letters. "Well, reckon I can separate some of these before I go to sleep," he noted, pulling open the strings. Twenty letters poured from inside and spilled on the floor. He sighed, leaning the bag against his bed and reaching down to pick up the letters. "Guess I'll go through these first."

He gathered them into his arms, only for another to fall out from under him. "Cornflabbit!" He picked the letter, grumbling. "Why am I so darn clum-"

All of the letters fell to the floor the moment he saw the name on the envelope. His yellow eyes were wide with disbelief as he stared at the name. "Holy jalapeños...it can't be!"

There was a knock on the door before he could open the letter. He quickly put the letter behind his back. "Sheriff, is that you?"

"Oh, I didn't know you were still awake, Peck!" the calico responded. "You don't mind if I come in, do you?"

Peck quickly shoved the letter in his nightstand drawer. "O-Of course not, Sheriff!" he said, clearing his throat and reminding himself to remain calm.

The door opened, and Callie walked in, wiping the sweat from her brow. "Whoo, that took a lot of work. Thankfully, the rest of the townsfolk were ready to help out," she said.

"Sorry I couldn't help you out, Sheriff Callie. It's jus' that I was exhausted from all the dancin' an' all," he said.

"Aw, don't sweat it, Peck," she said. "It's your first day back. You don't need to overdo it." She looked at the bag of letters resting against the bed and then at the small pile of letters on the floor. "An' it seems you already started workin' on sorting out those letters an' get-well cards."

"Better now than never, you always say," Peck said, picking up the pile on the floor. "There are so many of these, some of 'em are literally fallin' outta the bag."

"Sounds like you could use some help," Callie said. "Here, let me help ya sort some of these cards."

"Thanks, Sheriff," Peck replied.

The two sat together on the bed, and started to pull out the cards to start separating them. "So, how'd you like these to be separated, Peck?"

"Hmm...probably in two stacks-one for friends an' one for family. Reckon they might've heard about what happened to me, too," he said.

They soon started taking out the cards, but Peck's mind wandered back to that letter he'd seen earlier. A face from years past filled his mind-a pretty bird who had captured and then later left it in pieces years ago. He hadn't heard from her in two years, and he'd assumed that she'd refused to talk to him again after what'd happened for him to leave town.

But now...

"Peck? Are ya alright?" Callie's concerned voice snapped him out of the past. He turned towards Callie, whose green eyes were narrowed.

He offered a small smile. "Heh, sorry, Sheriff. Reckon I went off into my own world for a minute there," he said. "But I'm alright, really."

He then started to sort the cards again, and after a few seconds, Callie turned back to sort them as well, although not without a few worried glances in Peck's direction. Peck, for his part, tried to remain as calm as possible.

 _I'll have to take a look at that letter later,_ he thought to himself. _An' I'll have to think about what to answer to her, too. The last thing I want is for more trouble to follow me around again..._

* * *

 _Hundreds of miles away from Nice n' Friendly Corners...  
_

The sound of someone knocking on the door sent Esmeralda out of her bed, her eyes wide with fear. Nobody was supposed to be around that late at night, epsecially where she lived. She got up and quickly crossed the floor towards the door, carefully grabbing a pan that was resting on the stove. "Who's there?" she asked, not quite keeping the quiver out of her voice.

A snicker answered her. "Relax, Emmy. It's me," someone said.

Her eyes widened and then narrowed. "Oh, you!" She opened the door, glaring hard at Timothy's dark silhouette. "What are you doin' here?"

"I'm here to see you, my pretty little songbird," he said, reaching for her.

She moved away from him. "Don't touch me. I know how you are, Timothy," she countered.

"Aw, there's no need to be like that. After all, you are pretty...for a swallow, that is."

Esmeralda rolled her eyes. "Whatever. What are you here for this time?" she asked. "You need somewhere to hide? Go somewhere else."

"Not this time," Timothy said. "I have a job for you to do, and it involves someone close to you."

"Quit talkin' in riddles an' spit it out, Tim," Esmeralda snapped.

"Temper, temper," Timothy chided. The darkness concealed his malicious grin. "You happen to know Deputy Peck well, don't you?"

"Know him? Are you serious?" she asked. "Of course I do. I mean, I grew up in the same town as he did." She shifted her eyes away from him. "An'...maybe had a tiny crush on 'im."

"An' what about now?"

"Oh, that's over an' done with," Esmeralda said offhandedly. "We haven't spoken in two years."

"You know he got into a fight with someone and ended up bein' in the hospital, right?"

Esmeralda stared at him, eyes wide. "What? Where is he? Is he alright?" she asked.

"Still alive in Nice 'n Friendly Corners...unfortunately," Timothy hissed, his voice dropping at that word. "He picked the wrong cat to shoot his beak off to."

Her eyes narrowed. "You did something to Peck, didn't you?" she demanded.

"Well...he _was_ meddlin' in my business," he replied.

She smacked him on the chest. "How could ya do such a thing, Tim? With your record, you're gonna stay in jail for a long time!"

"Sheriff Callie never found my record," Timothy assured her. "So, I only ended up in jail for two weeks for my trouble."

"Sheriff Callie?" Esmeralda stared at Timothy as though he was insane. "You can't be serious."

"I'm serious, songbird," he said. "I didn't get what I wanted back in Nice 'n Friendly Corners, but I will this time. An' you're gonna help me get it."

"What is it this time? An 'important treasure'?" she inquired, using air quotes.

"That's none of your business," he snarled. "The thing is, because of what I did in that town, I can't show my face around there. I need you to go in an' get everythin' ready. Become one of 'em. An' disarm those townsfolk while I get everythin' set up." He chuckled. "Those fools won't know what hit 'em when I get to them."

Esmeralda sighed. "I have to do this again..."

"Come on, Emmy. I know you won't turn down the handsome pay I'm willin' to give you," he said. "You could use it, in light of-"

"You bring that up, an' these," Esmeralda snarled, motioning to her feet, "will meet your face."

Timothy chuckled. "Must've been somethin' wrong with Deputy Peck if he left you," he said, turning away. "How long will it take ya to get to Nice 'n Friendly Corners?"  
"About four days," she said.

"I'll have your instructions ready by tomorrow. As for now, we're gonna head on back into town before anyone gets suspicious." Timothy tipped his hat to her. "Good night, songbird."

Esmeralda rolled her eyes. "Shut up," she snarled, and slammed the door in his face. Another low chuckle came from behind the door, and then his footsteps receded.

Esmeralda sighed, and rested her head against the door, the weight of her conversation with Timothy playing over and over in her mind. "What am I getting myself into?" she muttered.

* * *

Peck stared at the yellow envelope with Esmeralda's name on it, his eyes set into a sad frown. It was long past midnight, and both Callie and Toby were sound asleep. But he couldn't sleep. Not with this letter first and foremost on his mind.

Memories filled his mind. Good ones at first. His first meeting with Esmeralda had been an ugly one-he'd been practicing a new dance move, and he'd accidentally pecked her in the face, sending her to the doctor's office. She'd disliked him at first, but over time, the two slowly started spending time with each other. She in particular liked to aggravate him with her quick and dry wit, and he seemed to annoy her with his clumsiness. And as they got older, he realized that he'd become attracted to the violet-green swallow, and she had felt the same for him.

But then that was when the bad times came in his mind. He remembered the day he'd walked in on her and another popular male. He remembered how territorial he'd been. He remembered how he'd tried to bring her back, but he'd discovered that she'd fallen thoroughly in love with the other woodpecker. He remembered how heartbroken he'd been, to the point where he packed his bags and left his hometown. She hadn't sent him any messages asking for an explanation, and he hadn't sent her anything telling her why he'd left. Two years after leaving Nice 'n Friendly Corners, he still hadn't heard anything from her.

He wondered why she'd written to him now of all times. Perhaps she had heard of what had happened to him? Or was she feeling guilty and asking for an apology?

He sighed and set aside the letter. "I'll save that for tomorrow," he muttered, turning over and burying himself in the covers.

 **End of Part 4**

* * *

 _ **It took me a long time to figure out what was gonna happen in this chapter, since I didn't want to fill this up with needless filler. My plan was to save Esmeralda and Timothy for next chapter, but I decided not to keep everyone in the dark about what's going on. This plan, as well as the mystery behind Peck and Esmeralda's relationship and the relationship between Esmeralda and Timothy is going to be explained in the following chapters.**_

 _ **I know this chapter didn't really focus on Callie's side of the story, but her side will covered in the next chapter. Once again, Peck kinda took over this chapter, and I'm pretty sure he's going to in the next chapter. But I promise, Callie will get more focus.**_

 _ **Constructive criticism would be very helpful on this story!**_

 _ **God bless, iheartgod175**_


	5. The Newcomer

**A/N: *sighs*** I'm kinda sad since I discovered that _Sheriff Callie's Wild West_ has been cancelled by Disney Junior, and it won't return for a third season. It's a shame, though, because it's a charming little cartoon filled with great characters, cute songs and some cool lessons-in fact, it's the only show that I actually watched on Disney Junior. Oh well, at least it's still on KissCartoon and I can watch it for free on there, but it's a shame I won't get to see it on TV anymore...

Anyway, aside from my small rant, here I am with the newest chapter of _You've Got My Attention._ This time, things heat up dramatically...and I'm pretty sure you can guess as to why. And as I promised last time, Callie's going to get more focus than she did in the last few chapters.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own _Sheriff Callie's Wild West_ and never will. And I'm very sure that the show wouldn't be on Disney Junior if I did own it.

* * *

 **You've Got My Attention**

 **Part 5: The Newcomer**

The sun was barely up when Callie climbed out of bed. She yawned loudly as she stretched, heading over to her dresser. She had to admit, it was rather early, but she had a few things on her mind, things that had kept her up last night.

Yesterday had been pretty eventful, with Peck's return party and what not, but that wasn't the only thing that had been on the sheriff's mind. For weeks, her deputy's confession had been nagging at the back of her mind, and whenever she remembered it, it always came with sudden surprise. She could never forget the way he'd blurted it out-he'd been frustrated, of course, but unlike what happened with Timothy, she could actually feel the raw emotion behind that statement. She could tell that he really did love her. He had been for the last two years...and yet she hadn't noticed this until he'd started telling her the reason he'd fought Timothy.

She sighed. How could she have missed the signs? On the few times he wasn't in trouble because of his ego or his jumping to conclusions, he often got into situations because he was trying to prove himself as a worthy deputy to her. A few times, she'd noticed him staring at her, although he hastily denied doing such when she asked.

And then there were the numerous times he'd compliment her on her skills. Everyone in town did, but his comments tended to flatter her most of all.

She looked up at the sky, which was mixed with pink and orange hues. She had to admit, it was rather touching to know that someone really did love her for who she was outside of her skills. But regarding her feelings towards the woodpecker himself, she couldn't quite place them. He was a good friend of hers, and she looked out for both him and Toby fiercely, as Timothy discovered. It was safe to say that she'd do almost anything for her friends.

But the question was, did she love Peck as a friend? Moreover, did she want to pursue another relationship again? Her green eyes darkened as she looked down at the townspeople. After what had happened the last time, she never wanted to open her heart to love again. It was part of the reason she kept any potential suitors at arm's length; she wasn't about to let herself get hurt again.

She knew Peck would probably never hurt her; he'd never dream of something like that, she'd imagine.

But still...

A loud knock on the door startled her out of her thoughts. "Sheriff Callie, are ya awake?" Toby called from the other side.

"Hmm? Yeah, I am," Callie said, walking over to the door. She opened the door and stood face to face with the cactus. "You're up pretty early, Toby."

"I was wonderin' if you want me to get started on breakfast," he asked. "I was gettin' bored of readin' my comics for the first thirty minutes of the day."

Callie smiled. "I'd appreciate that, Toby. You get started on that while I take care of the chores."

"Sure thing, Sheriff!" Toby then bounded down the hallway towards the stove.

Callie took a deep breath, let it out and then made her way out of her room, resolve in her mind. What had happened in the past would come later. Right now, it was time to focus on the present.

* * *

It would be a little after seven thirty when Peck decided to finally get out of bed. Dreams of Callie and Timothy, as well as Esmeralda, had plagued his sleep, resulting in zero rest. He looked over at the letter on his nightstand. He sighed, his will giving out, and he walked over to the letter, picking it up. "I'll never get any sort of rest 'til I figure out what the heck she's up to this time," he muttered.

He peeled off the top, pulled out the letter, and unfolded it. Dark, swirling cursive greeted him, and quickly held his attention.

 _Dear Peck,_

 _I know you must be surprised by this letter. We haven't spoken to each other in two years, not since that incident back home. And for a while, I figured I might as well forget about you. But I couldn't do that, Peck. I still remember how angry you'd been, and how heartbroken you'd been afterwards, to the point where you left town. Back then I was convinced that I was right, and I didn't really feel that bad when you left, but numerous things happened for me to reconsider that._

 _I was horrible to you, Peck. You loved me, and I simply tossed your heart away when I got someone else's attention. In hindsight, I can't blame you for being angry at me; I would've done the same thing if the position had been reversed. I'd like to ask you for forgiveness, but if you don't forgive me, then I completely understand. After what I did, I'm pretty sure I don't deserve it._

 _Even so, I'd like to hear a response from you, Peck. At least I'll know that you're still around-and still up to talking to me, if you wish it._

 _Best regards,_

 _Emmy_

Peck sighed as he set the letter down, his face creased into a frown. "Even if I forgive her, nothin's gonna change the past..."

There was a loud knock on the door one that startled him out of his thoughts. Clearing his throat, he said, "Y-Yeah?"

"Peck, breakfast is ready!" Callie said. "Aren't ya comin' down?"

"Uh, yeah, sure!" Peck shoved the letter under his pillow, picked up his kepi and headed towards the door. "I'll be there in jus' a bit!"

Shutting the door behind him, his mind briefly wandered back to Esmeralda's letter. He shook his head, heading downstairs. _I'll have to figure out how to answer to that later. Right now, I've got more important things to attend to._

Peck bounded down the stairs and saw Toby and Callie already at the table, the former eating a bowl of cereal and reading his _Sagebrush Sam_ comic, and the latter pouring a glass of milk to go along with her pancakes. She looked up at her deputy and smiled. "Well, you're up bright an' early today, Peck," she noted. "I thought you'd be sleepin' in, what with all the excitement from last night."

Peck chuckled. "Yeah, well, guess I wasn't nearly as tired as I thought," he said, sitting down to his bowl of oatmeal. "So, what's on the agenda today, Sheriff?"

"Hmm...nothin' particularly special's goin' on today," she answered, "if you consider makin' deputy rounds somethin' excitin'."

"Excitin'? I'm right excited for it!" Peck said. "Two weeks in Doc Quackers' office had me regret bein' lazy!"

Callie chuckled. "I bet it did. Well, after breakfast, you an' Toby can head out to take care of your deputy rounds," she said.

"Sure thing, Sheriff!" Toby answered.

"Right, Sheriff," Peck said, digging into his pancakes. Despite himself, he offered up a smile to the calico. "I've got a feelin' that things are gonna go great today."

* * *

 _A few hundred miles away..._

Esmeralda packed her bags, stuffing her last outfit into an already overstuffed suitcase. She knew it was excessive, but a lady had to pack a few things, even if they were only staying into town for two weeks.

She frowned at herself in the mirror. Two weeks. Two weeks in the company of her old crush. Two weeks of pretending to be something she wasn't. Two weeks of doing yet another job for Timothy so he could enter town without suspicion and bleed it dry.

She hated doing this job, to be honest, but she didn't have much of a choice. Either she continued to do this job for him, or she'd lose all that she'd held dear. Sighing, she muttered to herself, "I have a feeling that things are gonna go great today." Her voice was dripping with sarcasm at that-the day hadn't started off great, and she didn't feel all that great, either.

Still, it wouldn't stop her.

She picked up the bags and walked out the door. The sooner she got this over with, the better.

* * *

 _Nice n' Friendly Corners_

 _A few hours later..._

"...and you won't believe what Saguaro Ted's gonna pull off in his next adventure!" Toby exclaimed, walking alongside Peck.

"What's that, Toby, old buddy?" Peck asked.

"Well, remember how last month was that excitin' dynamite adventure?" Toby replied. "An' you remember how Hop-a-Long barely managed ta get them outta there, right?"

"Yeah," Peck said. "That was one heck of a darin' rescue."

"This new issue has Saguaro Ted an' Deputy Hop-a-Long Hawk on a hunt to find a dangerous outlaw called the Phantom Killer," the cactus answered. "She's apparently got a grudge 'gainst Saguaro Ted for the death of her family, which was caused by a criminal that he couldn't catch."

"Shucks, that sounds dark!"

"I know! From what Abigail's told me, it's kinda dark, but not so dark that it ruins the whole tone of the comic," Toby said, pausing to check around the corner. "But now with a powerful outlaw out there, Saguaro Ted's gonna have to be on his toes!"

"Yeah, 'specially since there's a female outlaw on the loose," Peck answered. "When's that issue supposed to come out?"

Toby sighed. "Not 'til next week," he replied. "The writer's kinda goin' through some personal issues or somethin' like that."

"I hope he gets that settled out soon," Peck answered.

"She," Toby corrected. "The person who writes the Saguaro Ted comics is a girl, Peck."

"Really?"

"Yeah! I've said it like a million times an' you never seem to remember!" Toby exclaimed.

"Eh heh, sorry 'bout that, Toby," Peck replied. "Sometimes, I end up having things on my mind when I'm talkin' to you."

"Like what, Peck?"

"Well..." Peck paused. He didn't know if now would be a good time to bring this up, but he could never keep secrets from his best friend. "Did the sheriff tell you about what I said to 'er?" he asked.

"Yeah..." Toby scratched the back of his head. "A-actually, I nearly told 'er myself, Peck."

Peck started at his friend, appalled. "Toby! I trusted you!"

"I didn't tell, Peck! Honest ta goodness, I didn't!" Toby said hurriedly. "Trust me, it was right temptin' to. I think if I didn't do it, someone else would've."

"Well, after I told 'er about my feelin's, I talked to Tio an' Uncle Bun. They told me that since Callie's still tryin' to figure out her feelings for me, I should step back," Peck said. "And I reckon they're right."

Toby studied the woodpecker closely. "Only..."

Peck sighed. "Only that the waitin's killin' me," he admitted. "Tio an' Uncle Bun said that rushin' it's not a good idea-but I dunno. Maybe she doesn't like me..."

"Aw, come on, Peck!" Toby said. "I'm pretty sure she's made her decision."

"If she has, then why hasn't she told me yet?" Peck asked despondently.

Toby scratched his chin, at a loss. "Well...I'm not sure. Maybe she still hasn't figured it out yet."

"How? I told her like a month ago! Shouldn't take that long to sort out!" Peck said.

"Peck, now you're soundin' no better than Timothy," Toby said, giving the woodpecker a pointed look. "Remember how he was tryin' to make the sheriff choose?"

"Yeah...you're right, Toby. I did sound right inconsiderate back there," he said. "Sure am glad she wasn't around to hear that."

"Yeah," Toby said. He looked around, seeing that they had reached the edge of town. "Things are pretty okay 'round here, so how's about we head back to office?"

"Good idea. We'll even stop by Ella's for some milkshakes. My treat," Peck offered.

Toby beamed. "Alright!"

* * *

"And here's your vanilla buttermilk milkshake, Sheriff!" Ella said, sliding a tall glass over to Callie.

"Thanks, Ella," Callie said, taking a long sip of the drink before answering. "After that rescue I pulled off an hour ago, I could use a pick me up."

"Once again, I'm obliged to ya, Sheriff Callie," Farmer Stinky said, tipping his hat to her. "I woulda been buried under the roof of my house if you hadn't come by."

"Aw, it's nothin', Farmer Stinky," Callie replied. "I'm always happy to help out." She stirred up her milkshake with her straw before taking a long sip of it. "Ahh...that really hits the spot."

"I bet it does," Ella said. She paused, and then turned and looked over at the sheriff. "Say, Sheriff Callie, I haven't seen ya work like this ever since Deputy Peck was put in Doc's office."

Callie looked up at Ella, and sent her a small, embarrassed smile. "Well, I couldn't help it if a lot of people needed my help today," she said. "I don't mind the rush at all, though."

"Even so, that's not healthy for ya! You need to take a break every once in a while!" Ella continued.

"Yeah. At this rate, you'll probably stress yourself out even more, Sheriff!" Farmer Stinky said.

Callie sighed as she set down her glass. "I know that, everyone, but-"

"But nothin', Sheriff!" Ella interrupted, seriousness in her blue eyes. "I know ya love your job, an' trust me, we're grateful for it...but you can't spend the rest of your life working. You need to take some time off an' enjoy yourself for once!"

"I know that, too," Callie explained quietly. "Trouble is, somethin' always pops up."

"That's true," Farmer Stinky said. "It ain't like the sheriff isn't takin' time for herself, Ella."

"But I can't argue with Ella on that, Farmer Stinky," Callie said.

"See?" Ella said. She looked over at Callie. "I wasn't tryin' to be rude or anythin' by sayin' that. But I'm one of your friends, and I couldn't help but be worried when I noticed that. And if you don't take care of yourself, then how are ya gonna help everyone else, Sheriff?" She put her hooves on her hips. "I know you wanna help folks. But takin' care of yourself is a first priority, Sheriff!"

Callie nodded, her green eyes focused on her drink. "You're right," she replied. "Reckon I started taking on more work after that fight."

"But Peck's all better now, and Timothy's long gone," Ella said. "You don't have to take on more work for yourself, Sheriff. That's what your deputies are there for-to help ya, not sit on the sidelines!"

"I've had Toby help me, but it's Peck's first week back, an' I don't want him taking on more than he has to," Callie said. She offered the cow a small smile. "Besides, it's nothin' major. I'm used to handlin' cases like this by myself."

"But you can't manage everythin' alone, Sheriff," Ella said. "I'm sure you remember learnin' that the hard way."

Callie was about to say something when the doors opened and Peck and Toby strode in. "Howdy, Ella! Can ya whip up a deluxe milkshake for me?" Toby asked.

"Oh! C-Comin' right up, Toby," Ella replied, recovering from her surprise. "An' what about you, Deputy Peck?"

"I'll have the usual trail mix milkshake, Ella," Peck replied. "And I'd like extra seeds in it this time."

"Got it. I'll have your orders for ya in a little while, fellas," Ella said. With an aside glance to Callie, she turned to get the ingredients for their shakes.

Both Toby and Peck sat on either side of Callie, and the calico cleared her throat. "So, did you boys run into any trouble?" she asked.

"Nope!" Toby said.

"Reckon that's 'cause everyone's heard of how good the deputy is 'round here," Peck said, shining his badge with his feathers.

Toby coughed next to Callie, and the calico gave Peck a knowing look. Peck groaned. "Okay, everyone's heard of how good the _deputies_ are 'round here," he corrected. "I was fixin' to say that, too!"

Callie chuckled; Peck's eagerness to show off his skills as deputy was well known around town. "Oh, I believe ya on that, Peck," she replied. "Of course, in my book, both you an' Toby are excellent deputies."

"Thanks, Sheriff Callie!" Toby replied.

"Heh, yeah. Thanks," Peck answered, trying and failing to keep a blush from his face. He smiled broadly when he saw the large milkshake being brought over to him. "Boy, that sure looks delicious, Ella!"

"Thanks, Deputy Peck!" Ella said, handing him and Toby their milkshakes. "I used your favorite trail mix in the ice cream this time."

"Really? Thanks, Ella!" Peck licked his beak. "This is gonna be delicious!"

He barely put his beak to his straw when the doors opened again. Dirty Dan was standing in the doorway, scanning the room. "Hey, uh, is Deputy Peck in here?"

"Yeah," Peck said, pushing aside his milkshake. "Is there trouble?"

"Nope! There's a young lady who's out lookin' for ya," he replied. "She ain't interested in seein' anybody but you."

Everyone in the saloon turned to face Peck at this news. Peck, for his part, looked just as confused. "Is that so?" he asked. "Well, then, I'll go on an' meet her, on account of I'm the deputy around here!" He got down from his stool and made his way out. "Thanks for tellin' me, Dirty Dan."

As Peck made his way out of the saloon, Toby turned to look at Dirty Dan. "You said it's another girl out there? What's she look like?"

"She's a bird, with really pretty green feathers and brown eyes. Reckon she might be a friend of Peck's," he said. "Although we ain't never heard of that friend before."

"Yeah," Toby said. "An' if there was anybody like that around, he definitely would've told us."

"Fellas, let's let Peck handle the situation instead of gossipin' about it," Callie said. "An' once he's done talkin' to her, then we can ask him what's goin' on."

* * *

Peck scanned the streets for the girl that Dirty Dan had asked him to see. "Hmm...wonder who could be interested in talkin' to me?" he asked. "I don't know many girls out here other than the sheriff, Abigail, Priscilla an'-"

"There you are, Peck!" someone shouted from the other side of the street.

Peck froze when he heard that voice. He spun to the left, his eyes wide as he saw the person running up to him from the other side of the street, almost tripping over her white dress. He couldn't believe it-she was actually here, in town, not even long after abruptly sending that letter.

Coming to a stop in front of him, Esmeralda looked up at Peck, giving him a small, playful glare. "What's the matter? You're just going to stand there and let a lady run all the way over here, huh?"

Recovering from his stunned state, the first thing that came out of Peck's mouth was, "What are you _doing_ here?"

"How rude, Peck! I come to see you for the first time in two years and that's the first thing you say?" she exclaimed.

"P-Pardon me for that, Esmeralda...but I mean, you did startle me," Peck admitted. "How'd you even know that I was a deputy? An' that I was deputy in this town, of all places?"

"Well, I heard it from a few people who'd visited," she said.

"But I don't remember anybody from our hometown visitin' here-"

"Heheh, you probably didn't see 'em," she interrupted quickly. "Either that, or they probably didn't wanna disturb you."

Peck blinked in confusion. He couldn't help but find that strange; people from his old town were just as chatty as the people from Nice 'n Friendly Corners, and they wouldn't hesitate to greet him if given a chance. He decided to save that aside for later, however. "Well, uh...shucks, you coulda told me you were comin' here, Emmy," he said.

"I wasn't planning to, though. I wanted to keep it a surprise," she said. Her smiled waned, and then she shifted her eyes to the ground. "Plus, I didn't think you'd want to see me, either, after what I did..."

"Well...that's not exactly true," Peck admitted, which got her to look back up at him. "Ya know that letter you sent me recently, right?"

Esmeralda nodded. "I sent that a week ago," she said.

"I read it, an' I was in a fix 'cause I was tryin' to figure out how to answer ya," he answered. "As ya can see, there's a lot we gotta to talk about."

"I know," Esmeralda said. She gave him a small sheepish smile. "Even I figured that this wasn't something that could be answered with one letter. But since I'm here...I bet we can have time to answer it now, huh?"

"Yeah, I bet. Uh, listen...how's about I lead ya to the hotel an' then later tonight we can talk this over?"

"Perhaps over a candlelit dinner?" Esmeralda asked, batting her pretty eyes at him.

"Uh...sure," Peck said, feeling the skin under his neck grow warm. "My schedule's free after tonight, so that should be fine."

"Perfect," she replied, clasping her hands together. "It'll be just like old times again, won't it?"

"Uh, yeah..."

She chuckled. "Aw, you know you don't have to be shy around me, Peck," she said. "Then again, I'd be surprised if you weren't. You were always bashful around girls." She skipped over to his side, sending him an innocent smile. "Now, can ya show me to the nearest hotel?"

"Uh, sure," he answered. "I could never leave a lady out alone. Come on, it's right down the street."

He started to go forwards, but that was when she slipped her arm inside his. He turned to look at her in confusion. "Um, Emmy?"

"Now, Peck...you won't go back on what you'd said earlier, right?" she asked.

"Of course I wouldn't! I was jus' surprised, that's all..."

"Well, then, off we go!" And before he could say anything, she was dragging him halfway down the street.

 _She always was the one ta take charge in a situation like this,_ he thought.

* * *

Callie stared at the crowd hanging around the saloon with a degree of confusion. "What in whiskers?" she asked. "What's everyone lookin' at?"

"We're lookin' at the deputy an' his new girlfriend, that's what!" Abigail said.

"Girlfriend?" Toby exclaimed. "Aw, come on, Abigail. Peck was jus' as stunned to see her as Dirty Dan was."

"Is that so?" the crane asked, giving him a knowing look. "Then how come he walked over to the hotel with her _arm in arm_?"

 _"What?!"_ Toby's shout could've been heard from a mile away.

"Well, we all saw it!" Priscilla pointed out.

"That's impossible!" Uncle Bun said. "I'm pretty sure the two of them are nothing more than friends."

"Uncle Bun, that's possible in this town, but that could've been different where Peck comes from," Priscilla retorted. "She knew him, and he knew her. An' from the way she was lookin' at him, battin' her eyes an' all, they're more than friends!"

"You could tell all that from that far away?" Farmer Stinky asked.

"But of course, Cousin Stinky! That woman's got her eyes set on Deputy Peck," Priscilla replied.

"Alright, everyone, let's calm down," Tio said. "We can't go around gossiping like this when we don't even know what's going on. I say we wait for Peck to explain this himself."

"Probably he doesn't want to. An' he probably won't have a chance to, either," Dirty Dan said.

"Yeah. You saw the way she pulled him towards that hotel," Dusty added. "They probably have a lot to talk about."

Toby turned towards Callie, who looked utterly surprised. "Did you know about any of this, Sheriff Callie?" he asked.

"This is the first time I've ever heard of it," Callie said. "I mean, I've got no problem with Peck havin' friends outside of town."

"I don't know...there's somethin' off about her," Priscilla said, glancing in the direction of the hotel.

"Priscilla, with you, there's somethin' off about every girl in this town," Abigail said. "Aside from Sheriff Callie, of course."

"Sheriff Callie's a woman of high regard! But that other one's bad news," Priscilla said, her nose raised snootily into the air. "And until I meet her for myself, I ain't changin' my opinion."

* * *

"And here's the keys to your room, Miss," the hotelier said, handing Esmeralda her room key. "You enjoy your stay."

"Thank you," she replied.

Peck picked up her bags and followed her up the stairs. "Which room was it?"

"Room 245," she replied.

"Oh, good. Least it wasn't Room 236. From what I've heard, they haven't fixed the wall yet," Peck said.

"The wall was caved in?" Esmeralda turned to Peck. "Did something happen?"

"You could say that," Peck replied, picking up her bags for her. "There was an incident with a couple of bad guys in this hotel, but Sheriff Callie, Toby an' I caught 'em."

 _Sheriff Callie, huh? That's the name of the sheriff that Timothy wants me to keep on her toes,_ Esmeralda said. "Is that so? It must've been one heck of a fight," she said.

"Darn tootin'. I tackled that feller straight through the wall when he tried to hurt the sheriff. Of course, I ended up gettin' hurt pretty badly, too," Peck said, "and had to spend a few months in the hospital, but I'm right as rain now."

"Well, no wonder you hadn't responded in a while! Was your injury that bad?" Esmeralda asked.

"Yeah. I broke my wing an' a few ribs. I had to go on bedrest, which meant three months of sittin' back an' doin' nothin'!" Peck complained. "Can you imagine how crazy I was goin'?"

"I can only begin to imagine. You were always a hyper critter," Esmeralda said.

She opened the door to her room and gazed around in wonder when she saw the room's size. "That person I chatted with on the station wasn't kidding when she said the hotel rooms were nice."

"Yup, I'd go as far as to say that they're the best rooms you'll see for miles," Peck answered. He set her bags by the closet. "Is there anythin' else that you're gonna need, Emmy?"

"No, I think I'm good for now, Peck." She paused, and then turned to face her old friend. It felt odd just being in the same room as him after so many years apart from each other. She was the reason he'd left town in a hurry, after all, and he hadn't sounded happy with her explanations.

A part of her wanted to tell him everything, to explain the real reason why she was here, why she'd showed up unannounced. But looking into those bright yellow eyes of his, she couldn't bring herself to say a word.

"Is eveythin' alright, Emmy?" Peck asked.

 _You need to tell him_ , one side of her brain argued.

 _No, you can't! If Timothy finds out, he'll kill you,_ the other side of her brain said.

She sighed, silencing both sides of her brain. "I'm fine, Peck. You go ahead and head back to your duties. I'll see you later tonight at the saloon," she said.

Peck remained silent for a few moments more, but he didn't press on the issue. "Well, if you're sure. I'll be back 'round six ta pick you up," he said. He tipped his kepi to her. "See ya later."

"See ya later, Peck."Esmeralda's reply was soft as he walked out the door. As soon as he closed it, she made her way over to the bed and reached for the phone. Bile filled her throat as she spun the rotary dial. She didn't want to do this, but it was part of her agreement with Timothy. After this call, there was no going back.

She finished dialing the number and waited for him to pick up on the other end. It rang twice before he picked up. _"About time you called. I knew you had to entertain the deputy a bit, but not for that long."_

"Glad to hear you're in a good mood," she spat. "You're lucky that I've got enough history with the deputy to keep him occupied for the next two weeks."

 _"Two weeks is more than enough time for me to prepare my attack,"_ Timothy answered.

She sighed. "I can't believe you're doing this all because of a woman."

 _"Well, Sheriff Callie's more of a bonus prize. But you get the picture,"_ Timothy said. _"Make a good impression on those townsfolk, Emmy. They're hard to win over once you've made them suspicious. If they poke and prod, they'll ruin my whole plan."_

 _More than anything, I hope your plan gets ruined,_ she thought to herself. "I'll keep that in mind," she said. "And what should I do with people who poke and prodthen?"

Timothy chuckled, a dark sound that made every feather on her arms stand. _"I packed a pistol in your bag."_

Her eyes went wide. "A _pistol_? As in a real one?" She fought to keep her voice down, but she couldn't control the horror in her voice. "Where did you get one of those?"

 _"Of course, airhead. A bubblegum pistol's not gonna keep people quiet. An' you don't worry your pretty little head about that,"_ Timothy replied. She could hear he sick mirth in his voice and she shivered. _"Keep that hidden well, Em. And only bring it out when you know that they're starting to get too close to findin' out. If they don't believe that it's a real pistol, you can test it out on them."_

"You're _sick_."

 _"I believe the word you're looking for is_ prepared _,"_ Timothy said. _"Call me back a week from now. By then, you should have that loudmouth eatin' out of your hand, as well as the rest of the town. And by then, I'll have the supplies I'll need."_ He chuckled again. _"Like I told ya before, Nice 'n Friendly Corners is gonna be robbed of a lot more than their sheriff."_

"Alright then," Esmeralda said. "The sooner I get this over with, the better."

 _"Aw, don't be like that, songbird,"_ Timothy crooned. _"You might have a little fun with the deputy."_

Esmeralda slammed the receiver down, anger and repulsiveness building up in her. She had no intention of "having fun" with Peck, especially if it was all part of an act. She had to be in his presence for two weeks, after which she'd have to make her escape before Timothy came in to take the town. There was nothing "fun" about pretending to be a person she wasn't in order to help a criminal.

She sighed. "Well, no matter how I feel 'bout it, there's no turnin' back now," she grumbled. "The sooner I get this over with, the better."

With that, she headed over to her bags, searching for a gown for her dinner with Peck.

 **End of Part 5**

* * *

 _ **I was gonna have this chapter be a lot longer, but I didn't want to bog it down with more filler.**_

 ** _There is a reason why Callie's hesitant to accept Peck's love for her, and that's going to be revealed next chapter. I wanted to reveal it this chapter, but Esmeralda and Peck kinda took over at the end. However, I was able to explore more of Callie's character in this, which was my main goal :)_**

 ** _I'm also enjoying writing some more of Esmeralda-right now, I'm toying with her being more of an anti-villain to Timothy's villain, as she doesn't want to follow Timothy's plan as it'll hurt Peck and dozens more, but she's doing it partly because of her fear of him and partly because of her financial situation (which is also gonna be brought up next chapter). When I have more of her personality down, I'll be adding her general profile to my profile as well as Timothy's._**

 ** _While there wasn't a lot of Callie/Peck feels in this chapter, there probably will be some more in the next chapter (which should be a little longer than this), mostly from Callie's side of things, as we already know Peck's feelings for her._**

 ** _Reviews are an author's lifeblood, so I'd really appreciate it if you guys would leave reviews of any type here! It would totally make my day, especially since I'm starting to get back into the groove of updating again!_**

 ** _God bless, iheartgod175_**


	6. The Shakeup

**A/N:** I can see not a lot of people noticed that I posted chapter 5. I think it's because something went wrong with Fanfiction's instant messaging post the day I posted it. Well, things in this chapter directly relate to that one, and we're delving into the interpersonal relationships between the cast. Compared to the last few chapters, the next few are gonna have more scenes between Callie and Peck, although this fic is more of a slowburn romance. Of course, Peck's gonna get some focus in this chapter, but that's gonna be later down the line. As much as I love him, I think he's had his time to shine for a while now :)

Again, a great big thank you to the people who have been reviewing and liking this story. It really means a lot and inspires me to continue.

And now, without further ado, here's chapter 6!

 **Disclaimer:** I still don't own _Sheriff Callie's Wild West._ And I think you all should be very glad :)

* * *

 **You've Got My Attention**

 **Part 6: The Shakeup**

 _Peck's House_

"You're doin' _what_?!" Toby shouted.

Peck cringed. "I said, I'm goin' out to dinner with my old friend, Esmeralda," he said. "Ya know, the girl who arrived in town today?"

Toby glanced at the brown suit in his hands, careful to not touch the sleeves too much. "So Abigail wasn't lyin' when she said that..."

Peck groaned. Abigail was a good friend of his, but her gossiping habits were just as bad as Priscilla's. "In any case, I'm gonna be havin' dinner with her tonight," he said.

"So that's why you need me to choose the best suit?" Toby asked.

"Yup!" Peck held up two suits on two separate hangars. "Now, which suit looks better-the blue one, or the black one?"

"Well...I would say the blue one, since you said it matches your feathers," Toby answered.

"Hmm..." Peck looked over at the suit in question. "I think you're right. I bet she'll like this one!"

"But you said you were gonna wear that for when you'd be goin' out to dinner with the sheriff!"

"It's the only other suit I have, Toby!" Peck protested. "The brown makes me look like a teacher, and the black's too formal! I wanna look nice, but casual!"

Toby gave Peck an odd look, one with a hint of disapproval. "Are ya sure there ain't another reason you're goin' out with her tonight?"

Peck took the brown one from Toby and stared at his friend in suspicion. "Whaddya mean?"

"Well...are ya sure ya don't have a crush on Emmy, Peck?" Toby said.

"What? No way, Toby! I haven't looked at her like that in years!" Peck said, tossing the black and brown suits in the closet. "We're just havin' a normal conversation like normal friends do!"

"Uh-huh..."

Peck frowned. "Ya sound like ya don't believe me."

"It's not that I don't! It's just...you just said that you haven't looked at her like that for years, Peck," Toby said.

"Yeah, an' that's a fact!"

"That's what worries me, Peck. But when you say somethin' like that..." Toby looked up at his best friend. "Tell me this, Peck. Were you in love with her a long time ago?"

Peck didn't answer, but his hesitation was enough for Toby. "Does she still like ya-"

"Toby, I don't have time ta answer questions like that!" Peck snapped, his voice rougher than he meant it to be. "Now quite yer fussin' an' help me get ready!"

Toby sighed, more uneasy than upset. He didn't think that Peck should be going with Esmeralda, but Peck had promised her he'd show up. And he didn't want to anger Peck more than he already had. "Alright, Peck. But don't complain 'bout thorns in your sleeves."

* * *

 _At the diner...  
_

"Where is he?" Esmeralda groaned, drumming her fingers on the table. "It's been over thirty minutes. I've already ordered and everythin'."

No sooner had she said this than Peck burst into the diner, almost knocking down a few people who were exiting.

"Goodness, Peck! You scared the devil out of me!" she cried, startled.

"Heh, sorry 'bout that, Emmy," he answered, smoothing out his suit. After giving a nod of apology to the people he'd almost knocked over, he made his way over to their table. "I was holed up at my house tryin' to find my best suit."

"Oh, you didn't have to get fancy on my account, Peck," she said, taking in his suit. The dark blue did bring out the red of his feathers. "But I must say, you look good in a suit."

Peck blushed slightly, and then looked at her. She was wearing a white and green evening gown with short, puffy sleeves, a lacy hem, and gold designs and imitation emeralds spotted along the front and the sides. "Well, you're one ta talk 'bout bein' fancy, Em," he said. "You hardly wear that dress unless it was one of yer pa's fancy dinners."

"I don't look bad, now do I?"

"You, look bad? That's impossible!" Peck answered.

Esmeralda chuckled. "Heavy with the charm, aren't we?" she teased, her grin growing wider upon seeing his face go red.

"I-I ain't bein' even the least bit charmin'!" Peck answered, fixing his tie as he sat in the chair opposite from hers.

"If you say so," Esmeralda said, and Peck allowed her to go first, holding the door open for her.

Their server, a short, white furred rabbit with blue eyes, quickly slid over meet them. "Howdy, Deputy Peck!" he greeted. "I didn't know you had a date tonight."

"Uh, it's not really a date," Peck hurriedly explained, going redder. "I-It's more like a friendly dinner."

"Right," the rabbit explained, giving him a wink. "This young lady over here already ordered for you two, so your meals should be here soon. Anything you want to drink?"

"I'd like some sparkling grape juice," Esmeralda said.

"Apple cider for me," Peck said.

"Alright, I'll be back in a flash!" And before they could blink, he was already off to get their drinks.

"Well, he's energetic," Esmeralda remarked.

"An' he's almost as fast as Cody," Peck said. "Oh, and don't tell 'im I said that. He's proud of his speed."

"I'll keep that in mind," Esmeralda said. She sighed as she folded her fingers together and rested her chin on top of them. "It feels odd, doesn't it?"

"What does?" Peck asked.

It was then that their exuberant waiter came back, his tray loaded with drinks. "Here's your sparkling grape juice and apple cider!" he said, setting the drinks in front of the pair. "Your food should be here in five minutes or less!"

"Thank you," Esmeralda said to him. When he quickly disappeared, she turned back to Peck. "Us, meeting each other again after two years."

"Well, when ya put it like that, it does," Peck replied, pulling at his tie. "I hope I don't sound too rude in sayin' this, but I kinda forgot about you an' what happened when I moved here."

"Oh..." Esmeralda averted her gaze. "Well...that's good, I guess..."

"T-That's not to say I forgot about ya completely," Peck answered. "It's jus'...cornflabbit, I'm messin' everythin' up, ain't I?"

"W-Well, you're bein' honest at least," she answered.

He sighed. "Sorry 'bout that. I didn't mean ta come off as rude or nothin', honest. I forgot about what happened a while back...but I didn't forget about you," he asked.

"And I haven't forgotten about you either," she said. She smiled slightly. "Well, you can tell from my bein' here."

Peck chuckled lightly. "Hey, listen, um...I've been meanin' to ask ya this ever since ya came," he said. "Why did ya come to see me?"

Once more, Esmeralda averted her gaze. Lying was a talent that she'd picked up from her brother, but she found it hard to lie directly to her ex's face. She answered with, "I guess...I guess I just felt guilty. A lot of things happened to me, and it wasn't for the better."

"What happened to you?"

"You remember how I'd fallen for Gutsy the first time, right?"

"Yeah, while we were still datin'," Peck answered.

"There were two reasons why I fell in love with him. One, because he was charming. And two, because he was rich and was already successful." Seeing him frown, she let out a sigh. "I know, I know. It wasn't right to do, especially since I'd promised you that I'd stay with you until you became the new sheriff in town...but I did it anyway," she said. "And when you got angry and decided to leave town, I...I didn't feel bad that you'd left. At least, not for a while."

"What happened after I left?" Peck asked. He wasn't about to let the memories of his past ruin his evening.

"Well, I decided to try touring around the country, trying to perform in all sorts of places. But nobody would take me seriously as a performer. And after several times of trying to make it work, Gutsy got tired of waiting. He left me for another woman," Esmeralda said. "And left me flat broke, too."

Peck's eyes widened. He'd figured something had to have changed after two years, but... "Holy jalapenos, that's terrible, Emmy!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah, it was," Esmeralda explained dully. By sounding uninterested, it numbed the pain somewhat. "Thankfully, my luck changed when I found someone to work for."

"Who was that?"

Esmeralda had to catch herself before she revealed the name of her employer. "Um...it was Thomas, I think. It's been a while since I worked for him. He paid me in exchange for working in his saloon, and I worked there for a short time...until some guys started getting too close for comfort, if you know what I mean," she said.

"You should know better than to work in places like that alone!" Peck hissed angrily.

"I know. But I was stupid and desperate, Peck," she answered. "If I went another week without work, I would've been homeless...or in the wrong hands."

Peck couldn't bring up a response to this, not even after their food was served in front of them. Indeed, what happened to his old girlfriend was horrible, and it should never have to happen to anybody. But something about this...something about this whole story was rubbing him the wrong way. Esmeralda was a lot of things, but he couldn't see her using herself to make money. That wasn't her. Even if she did lose all she had, she still would've had her dignity intact.

"I did eventually get asked to perform in a theater not long after I left the saloon. One of my skills was playing piano, you know...and they liked it enough that they paid me. Since then, I've been performing in different places, trying to make ends meet," she answered. She looked down and took a spoonful of her soup. "And that's pretty much what happened for two years."

"Em, why didn't you ask anyone for help?" Peck asked. "If there's one thing ya've never been, it's stubborn."

"Well...if there's one thing I've never been, it's humble," Esmeralda said. "I wanted to fix my situation my way, and not get anyone in my troubles. My parents would lock me away in their house forever if they learned what I'd been doing. Obviously, I couldn't go to Gutsy or to you." She slowly slurped another spoonful of her soup. "And even after it was all over, I had so much bottled inside that I couldn't keep it to myself, but I had no one to talk to. And then I thought...well...I remembered that you used to be a good listener whenever I got myself into something..."

"I still am, you know," Peck said.

Esmeralda smiled at him. "You've no idea how much this means to me, Peck," she said. "Like I said, you don't have to make your decision on me right now. I mean-"

"Emmy, if I'm sittin' here talkin' to you without givin' you a piece of my mind, I've already made my decision," Peck said. "I'm willin' to let the past stay in the past so long as I can help out one of my old friends."

"You'd really do that, Peck?"

"I swear on my duty as deputy of this here town," Peck replied. "'Course, I'd do the same for any of my friends in this town, but for you-" He stopped when he saw Esmeralda wipe her eyes, staining her glove with mascara. "Holy jalapenos, are you cryin'?"

Esmeralda chuckled and wiped another tear from her eye and then sniffled. "S-Sorry...it's just..." She let out a small, shaky breath. "It's just t-that I never expected you to forgive me, Peck. I remembered how y-you swore to never talk to me again. I-I got to thinkin' that...I-I thought this trip was going to be a waste of time."

Peck reached into his suit vest and pulled out a handkerchief. "Well, at least you were proven wrong, right?" he said.

She chuckled again. Although one reason for her heightened emotions was because of Peck's forgiveness, the other reason was that she was still lying to him. She'd only told him a half-truth, which was the part about Gutsy and her failures as a singer and musician. But the other reason she was here, the main reason she was here...she couldn't tell him. For his sake, for her sake, she couldn't say a thing. It was tearing her apart, all this lying. But she really had no choice.

She nodded and gave him a smile. "For once, I'm happy about that," she answered, before dabbing her eyes with the handkerchief he'd graciously given her. "Thanks, Peck. Really, I mean it."

Peck smiled back. "You're welcome, Emmy," he said.

"Now, I suggest we eat our food before it gets too cold," she answered. "I heard that that the tumbleweed spaghetti they have here is delicious."

"More like the best in these parts!" Peck took a bite of his spaghetti, and then frowned. "Yep, definitely shoulda eaten them when they were hot."

Despite herself, Esmeralda couldn't help but laugh.

* * *

 _Hundreds of miles away from Nice 'n Friendly Corners..._

"Are you absolutely sure we can trust Esmeralda, Tim?" Jacques asked. "I mean, what history does she have with the deputy?"

Timothy, who was sharpening his claws with a knife, looked up at his henchman with a devious smirk. "Didn't you know? Esmeralda was that deputy's girl before he set his greedy eyes on the sheriff," he said.

"You're kiddin'."

"If I was, I wouldn't have gone this far to ask her for her help. She can keep the woodpecker distracted while I work on the sheriff," Timothy said.

"Huh...so aside from what's goin' down in Nice 'n Friendly Corners, you're still tryin' to make Callie yer wife?"

"Of course. I always get what I want. Callie just made me do it the hard way," Timothy said. "An' when I marry her, I'm thinkin' of makin' life extra special for her, ya know. As payback for what she's done to me."

Jacques laughed. "I'll toast to that."

"Besides, Esmeralda's smart. She wouldn't even think of betrayin' me. She's indebted to me, after all."

"Is that so?"

Timothy set the knife down and leaned forward in his chair. "She got herself into a lotta trouble when her rich boyfriend left her. She was alone, broke an' ugly when I found her. So to give her a roof over her head, and to keep her from squawkin' so much, I let her work for me. She got so good at it that as a reward, I gave her enough money to pretty herself up." He shook his head, a lecherous chuckle in his throat. "And boy, did she make herself look pretty. Of course, because I saved her from bein' homeless, she took a likin' to me. But I quickly let her know where she stood on that."

Jacques laughed. "I know you, Tim. You didn't just leave at that," he said.

"Of course I had my fun with her," Timothy said. "Anybody'd be fool not to."

The door to their room opened, and the third member of their team, Heinz, walked in, along with a white-tailed deer with amber eyes. They were carrying a large box labeled with the words "Ammunition" on the sides. Two more followed, carrying kegs of gunpowder.

Timothy got up from his seat. "Nobody saw you, right?" he asked.

"One person did," Heinz explained. "But we took care of him real quick."

"Good. The last things we need are the guns and horses," Timothy said. "And then, we'll take out Nice 'n Friendly Corners...not to mention bring Sheriff Callie along for the ride of her life."

"And if she refuses to go along or fights back?" Jacques said.

"Let me worry about that, Jacques," Timothy said, leaning back in his chair. "I've always got a plan for everythin'."

* * *

 _Nice 'n Friendly Corners_

 _Sheriff's Office_

"Say, Toby, when did Peck go on his date?" Callie asked, tossing a ball of yarn into the air.

Toby paused in reading his _Saguaro Ted_ comic and scratched his chin. "Hmm, let's see...I think it was seven by the time he left," he said.

"And it's already ten," Callie said. She couldn't help but chuckle. "Reckon he's havin' a lot of fun, ain't he?"

That was what worried Toby the most, but he didn't want to let the sheriff in on that. "Yeah, I guess he is," he answered. He started to return to his comic, but paused again as a question came to mind. "Hey, Sheriff Callie?"

"Yes, Toby?"

"I couldn't help noticin' you spend a lot of time in the office. Not that you stay in the office all the time, but I haven't seen ya go out and enjoy an evenin' for a while," he asked.

"I do a lot of work around the office, Toby. That's the main reason why," Callie answered. "And I go to parties and stuff like that."

"Well, yeah, but I meant that you should go out with someone, like Peck is," Toby said.

Callie's smile disappeared from her face entirely, and she leaned back in her chair, her gaze fixed on her ball of yarn. "It's a little too soon for that, Toby," she answered.

"Too soon?" Toby asked, confusion in his voice. "You'd broken up with someone before Timothy showed up?"

"You could say that," Callie replied quietly.

Toby started to ask more, only for the door to open and Peck walked in, a laugh on his beak. "Emmy, you are a hoot!" he said.

"Aw, why thank you, Peck!" she said. "I'm glad ya haven't lost your sense of humor."

"Peck, you're back!" Toby said, jumping out of his chair. He paused when he saw the violet-green swallow standing there, her eyes wide with surprise. "Oh." He tipped his hat to her. "Howdy."

"Nice to meet you," Esmeralda answered, regaining her composure. "I'm Esmeralda, one of Peck's friends."

"I'm Toby, Peck's best buddy!" Toby introduced. "I'm also one of Sheriff Callie's deputies."

"Is that so?" Esmeralda answered.

Callie got out of her chair and set aside her yarn, walking over to Esmeralda. "So you must be that friend of Peck's that everyone was talkin' about," she said. She extended her paw to her. "I'm Callie."

"Esmeralda," the swallow replied, shaking her hand. "I've heard a lot about you, Sheriff. I must say, you're an inspiration to folks everywhere."

"Thanks," Callie answered. "I do my best."

Esmeralda released Callie's hand and looked from her to Toby. "Well, it was nice to meet you all, but I've gotta head back. It's been a long day." She turned to face Peck. "You don't mind walkin' me back, do you, Peck?"

"Why of course not, Emmy!" Peck replied. "I'll be back to help close up, you two."

Esmeralda smiled at Peck, and then she turned back to Callie, a small, mysterious smile on her face. "Good night, Sheriff," she said. "I'm gonna enjoy gettin' to know you."

Callie would've given her a response in kind, but something about the expression on her face was giving her an odd feeling. She didn't have time to answer the swallow, though, for Esmeralda turned and led Peck out the door, her arm hooked in the crook of his elbow.

Toby turned to Callie with a look of surprise. "How come you didn't say anythin', Sheriff?"

"W-Well, she was in a hurry, Toby," Callie answered quickly, putting a smile on her face. "And if she's had a long day, I can't fault her for it."

"Well, yeah, I guess you're right," Toby answered, though he couldn't help but find Callie's answer strange. It wasn't like her to jut leave people hanging like that. "Are ya alright, Sheriff?"

"Of course I am, Toby," Callie answered. "What makes you think I wasn't?"

"Nothin' really," Toby said, putting on a smile. "I'll just be in my side of the office readin'."

Callie nodded and returned to her yarn, although for a moment she studied the sparkly pink yarn in her paws, wearing that same lonely look she'd worn earlier. This wasn't missed by Toby, and his concern returned with a fierce vengeance. But he didn't want to worry the sheriff more, or make it seem like he doubted her. He had no reason to. If she said nothing was going on, then nothing was going on.

He turned around to walk back towards the stool, picking up another issue of _Saguaro Ted. Reckon I'm overthinking this a might,_ he thought. _Yeah...that's all. It's nothin' but nerves. 'sides, Sheriff Callie's fine. She can take care of herself. There's nothin' to worry about, Toby._

* * *

It wasn't long before Peck and Esmeralda made their way to her room. Peck stood in the hallway as she unlocked and entered, his hands folded behind his back.

He gave her a small smile. "Well, I guess this is where we part ways, Esmeralda," he said.

She offered him a wide smile. "I suppose so. But I guess...I guess a part of me doesn't want it to end just yet," she said. "We had so much fun tonight; reminded me of the old times."

"Yeah, me too," Peck replied. "But hey, if ya want, we can go out a few more times if you want. That way, you can get used to to the town an' such."

"Sounds good to me, but I wouldn't want to take up all of your time. And I'd like to make some friends on my own," she said. "We can go out together whenever you're free."

"Sure." He cleared his throat and straightened himself. "Well, I'd better get goin'. Take care of yourself while you're in town, alright?"

Esmeralda laughed. "Like you need to tell me," she answered. "I can defend myself as well as anybody."

Peck smiled. _Guess there was no need for the warnin'._ "That's good to know," he said. "Well. I'd best get goin'. Goodnight, Emmy."

"Goodnight, Peck," she said. "And you take care of yourself, alright?"

"I will, thanks."

After she closed the door, Peck walked down the hall and trotted down the stairs at a light pace. If someone had told him that he'd be lighter on his feet after meeting Esmeralda, he would've told them they were nuts. He sighed as he exited the door, waving at the manager as he left.

Boy, was Toby going to be surprised by this.

* * *

Esmeralda leaned against the door, letting out a deep, shaky sigh. Timothy had told her that it would be easy to distract Peck, but she had never felt more nervous or disgusted in her life.

Peck hadn't brought out her disgust-no, it was the fact that she'd had to lie to his face several times just to garner his sympathy that did. Even worse was that she knew she'd have to do it again and again for two weeks, until Timothy came to town.

The part where she'd told him about her performance problems wasn't a lie, though. The man who'd helped her out of it was, though. But what could she possibly say to him? How could she explain that she knew Timothy, and not only that but was his occasional associate. She already hated him, but Peck and the rest of the town had tried to forcefully boot him out. She would've loved to see that in person, and maybe even bond with the people over how terrible Timothy was as a person. But she couldn't, not when her job-and possibly her life-was on the line.

And then there was dealing with the sheriff on top of dealing with Peck...

The loud ringing of the phone startled her thoughts. She sighed. _Looks like I'm not going to get any sleep tonight,_ she thought to herself, walking over to the phone.

No sooner had she picked it up than Timothy breathed, _"So, did you meet up with the deputy already, Songbird?"_

"Yeah, I did. We just finished having dinner," she said. She paused, and then added, "And I met the sheriff."

 _"And you'll do well to keep an eye on her. She's your target, after all,"_ Timothy said. _"Befriend her. Get to know her. But more importantly, study her. She's smart, sometimes, too smart for her own good. Keep an eye out for her next move and stay one step ahead of her."_

Esmeralda nodded, even though Timothy couldn't see her. "Right," she answered. "And when are you supposed to be here?"

 _"Don't get too excited, Em. I'm workin' on the final details. We should be there in two weeks or so, three tops. That's more than enough time for you, I reckon?"_

Three weeks seemed way too long to spend in this town. But she couldn't do anything; he was calling the shots, not her. She pursed her lips together and twirled one feathered finger around the cord.

"It'll be enough. You just watch," Esmeralda said. "By next week, I'll have the townspeople of Nice 'n Friendly Corners eatin' out of the palm of my hand."

Timothy laughed. _"I'm countin' on that. You've done good before, Em. Don't mess it up this time."_

"For you, Timothy? I wouldn't dream of it," she replied. As she set the phone down, she sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "But oh, how I wish I could..."

From now on, she'd have to keep her emotions about this case to herself. She couldn't let Peck in on her emotions. She couldn't let Timothy in on them either. But most of all, she had to make sure that the sheriff didn't know. If Callie found out, she could possibly go to jail.

 _At this point_ , she mused, _jail might not be such a bad idea after all_.

* * *

 _Peck's House_

"...so that's what's been going on with her?" Toby asked, staring at Peck with wide eyes. He'd been dying to know what had happened at the dinner, and suffice to say, this wasn't the news he'd expected to hear.

"Yeah," Peck replied, hanging up his coat. "I never knew that somethin' like that would happen to her, but I'm glad she's back on her feet."

"Yeah, I didn't know that, either," Toby replied. "No wonder she didn't talk to ya 'til now. That's a lot for someone to deal with."

"True. If I had all that goin' on, I wouldn't say anythin', either," Peck said. He turned to face Toby. "But aside from that little detail, the two of us had a great time."

"Uh-huh," Toby answered. _Maybe a little too much fun_ , he thought to himself. "So, are you plannin' on goin' out again?"

"Well...she said that we could spread it out over the next few weeks. She said she wanted to get to know everyone else in this town," Peck answered. "I told her that's a smart idea."

"Wait, did you bring up goin' out again, or did she?"

"I did. Why?" Peck asked, turning towards the cactus with a suspicious glare.

"Why? Peck, you told Callie that you loved her weeks ago," Toby answered. "But the first thing you do is go out with your old friend!"

Peck stared at him, his eyes narrowing. "What are you gettin' at?" he asked.

"What I'm gettin' at is...are you sure that you weren't playin' around with Callie's feelin's?"

"What?!" Peck shouted, so loudly it could be heard from the other side of town. "How could you say that, Toby? You don't even know the whole reason I haven't said anything to her!"

"What's the reason? You're not chicken, are you?"

"No, I'm not!" Peck said. "It's just..."

"Listen, Peck, you can't keep dancin' around the issue," Toby said. "Sooner or later, you're gonna have to ask her out on a date."

Peck sighed. "That's what I'm worried about," he said. "I've been wantin' to for the last few days...but I just can't work up the courage to do it. She was already actin' awkward around me 'cause of my confession. What if I scare her off because of this?"

"Well, if you blurt it out like ya did when you told her, ya will scare her off," Toby replied. "But I'm pretty sure she'll agree to go on a date with you, Peck. And I think the rest of the town'll be happy to help you out!"

"Yeah, I'm sure they will," Peck said, his tone sour.

"Aw, don't be like that, Peck," Toby replied, getting up from his chair and walking over to his friend.

"I just wanted to ask the sheriff myself," Peck replied, "without the rest of the town hangin' around. No offense, Toby."

"None taken, Peck. If you want, I'll tell the rest of the townsfolk to hold off," Toby replied.

"Could you really do that for me, Toby?" Peck asked. "I'd really appreciate it."

"Sure! Just one thing, though: when are you plannin' on askin' her?" Toby asked.

"Well, I was thinking of askin' her tomorrow..." Peck mumbled, scratching his beak. "But you can't mention anythin' to the sheriff, alright? I've gotta get everythin' prepared for her!"

"I won't say a word, Peck," Toby replied, holding up his hand.

"Especially to Priscilla and Abigail. You know how those two are when they hear something!" Peck warned. "If they hear of what I'm doin', they'll try to get everyone in town together to help!"

"I swear, I won't tell, Peck!" Toby answered. "Even if they poke and prod at me, I won't say a thing!"

Peck let out a sigh of relief. "That's what I like to hear," he said. He then gave the cactus a smile. "I can't wait to see what she'll think of where I'm takin' her!"

* * *

 _Sheriff Callie's House_

The quietness was a relief for Callie as she walked outside, taking in the cool night air. Right now, she needed to be alone to think. She should be asleep, but she couldn't. Not tonight, after what Toby had said.

The cactus didn't know it, but she had her own reasons for not dating, even though she'd saved herself the trouble with Timothy and was still on the fence with Peck. Reasons that only a few in Nice 'n Friendly Corners knew. What Toby and Peck didn't know couldn't hurt them.

And she really, really didn't want to hurt them.

It hurt, keeping such a huge secret from her friends. But the way Callie saw it, it was the only thing she could do. She didn't need everyone clinging to her and offering their sympathy again. And Peck still didn't know that there was a side of her that she didn't want them to see...one that would've changed his whole opinion on her.

With slightly trembling fingers, she removed a small black and white picture from her vest jacket, one that was outlined with fraying pink yarn. She hardly carried such things with her, but she made an exception for this photo, her most prized possession. A sad smile crossed her face as she looked at the figure in the picture-the smiling face of an Abyssinian looked up at her, a confident smile on his face. Even now, their conversation echoed through her head.

 _"Let's trade photos, Callie. You keep my picture an' I keep yours."_

 _"What for, Brax?"  
_

 _"What else? That way, wherever you go, I'll go with ya. No matter what, you'll be a part of me."_

Callie's ears lowered and she looked up at the sky, tears prickling her eyes. "And no matter what, you'll be a part of me, too," she whispered. Wiping her eyes, she placed the picture back in her vest pocket before heading into her house.

It was going to be a long day tomorrow, and she needed the rest.

* * *

 _The next day, later that afternoon..._

The hustle and bustle of the town square was a relief for Callie as she walked down the street, doing her rounds. After her troubling thoughts from last night, she needed some noise to keep her occupied.

"Welp, that area's clear, Sheriff. An' so's the other side of town," Peck said, walking alongside her. His hands were folded behind his back and his tail feathers moved from side to side as he walked. Someone had woken up with a spring in their step. "We've only got two more places to go, an' then we'll be done!"

"Sure looks like it," she answered. "You seem glad for that."

"Yeah, well...there is one thing I was hopin' to ask ya about," Peck said slowly, scratching his face. His feathers were turning a light shade of red.

"Aw, Peck. I told ya before that you don't have to be nervous about askin' me things," Callie said. "We're friends, for cryin' out loud. Whatever you have to ask me, just ask me."

"Well...ya see, I kinda had somethin' special in mind," Peck replied. "I can't tell ya what it is I'm workin' on yet...but I was still wonderin' if you'd like to go regardless."

Her lips curled into a teasing smirk. "You're askin' me out on a date?"

"W-Well, more or less, yeah," Peck stammered. "Cornflabbit, an' I thought I'd be more confident with things like this..."

While Peck was mumbling to himself, Callie couldn't help but chuckle. It was cute, seeing the blustery and often overconfident woodpecker get flustered like that.

"Sheriff? Are ya even listenin'?" Peck asked.

Callie snapped out of her thoughts, and turned to Peck with a sheepish smile. "Sorry, Peck. I just had something on my mind, that's all. Could ya repeat that?"

"I said, well, all that aside, how does that sound?" Peck inquired. "Would ya like to go out on a date with me tonight?"

Callie paused before answering. If it were anyone else, she would turn him down, stating that there were more important things to do than worry about a silly little date. But this was Peck, after all. He knew her just as well as she knew him-true, he'd probably do something big to show off, but he wouldn't go overboard unless he got in trouble. Besides, Ella had said she needed to get out there and enjoy life again, and perhaps a little date couldn't hurt.

Her mouth relaxed into its signature friendly smile. "Yeah, that'd be great," she said.

The elation in Peck's eyes could have lit up the whole town. "Y-You really think so?!"

"Sure. I've been right tired of sittin' in that office every night," Callie said. "So what time do you think you'll be ready?"

"Hmm...I'm thinkin' around seven o'clock or so...maybe eight, if I can get enough help..." Peck said. He stopped as he looked at the town clock. "Holy jalapenos, that reminds me! I've gotta get goin'!"

"But Peck, we're not quite done yet!" Callie said, grabbing his arm before he could rush off. "We've still got those two places to look at."

"Aww, but-"

"First things first, Peck," Callie said. "Work first, an' then you can go."

Peck grumbled, his beak curling into a pout. "Oh, alright," he muttered, sulking ahead of her. "And I had a really great idea, too..."

Callie had to stifle a laugh. Honestly, it felt good to laugh again. Peck did have a talent for making people smile, and such.

Perhaps this "date" was just what she needed after all.

* * *

 _Several miles outside of Nice 'n Friendly Corners..._

"Hey, Ollie, I-I don't think this is such a good idea."

On the top of a cliff overlooking the town of Nice 'n Friendly Corners, four men were cleaning their supplies. The person who'd spoken, a golden-feathered rooster with a bright red comb, looked worried at his partner, a tan-furred coyote who was focused on the town below them, the end of a toothpick between his fangs.

The coyote, Ollie, turned around to face him with a mocking expression. Removing the toothpick, he said, "What, you've got cold feet or somethin', Jack? Or maybe you're more chicken than rooster after all!"

That got a laugh out of his remaining companions-a white-tailed deer with dark brown eyes and large antlers, and a horned lizard with beady brown eyes. Jack's face went as red as his comb. "...I told ya to quit sayin' that!"

"The only way I'll quit sayin' that is if you decide to stop freakin' out an' do your job," Ollie snapped. "If we pull this off, we'll be the most feared outlaws this part of the West has ever seen!"

"Ollie, don't tell me that you're stupid enough to go in there, known what Sheriff Callie can do to you!" Jack shouted.

"Jack, don't tell me you're stupid enough to leave twenty thousand dollars jus' sittin' there!" Ollie replied, smirking. "We've got everythin' we need to beat the sheriff right here." He pointed at his gun holster. "Besides, if she gets any ideas, there's more than one way ta skin a cat." He laughed and clapped his partner's back, the signal that it was time to go. "Now, no more tryin' to talk me outta this. We play our cards right, we walk away rich and with one less sheriff outta our hair."

Jack sighed as he stood up, rifle in hand. _I still don't think this is a good idea..._

* * *

Callie stepped into Ella's saloon, noting that the afternoon crowd was already there. Among them were Dusty and Rusty, Uncle Bun, Tio Tortuga, Priscilla and Esmeralda. The latter was sitting at the bar by herself, staring absentmindedly into her half-empty glass.

Seeing as she had nothing to do before Peck's surprise (which he'd run off to prepare as soon as they'd finished their rounds), there was no harm in chatting up a few of her friends. Waving to Ella, she called out, "I'd like two strawberry buttermilk milkshakes, Ella. Hold the whipped cream."

Ella looked over at her in surprise. "Wow, you must be in a really good mood, Sheriff!" she remarked. "An' you're orderin' two of 'em?" Callie's mildness towards sweets was well known to everyone, even people who tried to court the sheriff. "What happened? Someone finally managed to snag ya at last?"

"Well, not exactly," Callie answered, taking a seat next to Esmeralda. The female songbird gave her an odd look as she did so. "You don't mind me buyin' you a milkshake, do ya?"

"Oh, not at all, Sheriff," Esmeralda replied, her beak curling into a small smile. "Just not used ta folks comin' up beside me like this. And usually it's guys who offer to buy me drinks."

"Heh, well, nothin' like a good strawberry milkshake to bring about some conversation," Callie said. "Still, sorry if I startled ya. That's kinda how we do things in Nice 'n Friendly Corners."

"So I noticed," Esmeralda replied. She thanked Ella as she took her milkshake, and looked around. "The atmosphere here sure is different."

"How different?" Callie asked.

"Well, the whole friendly dynamic around here, for starters," Esmeralda said. "Where I came from, the folks were friendly so long as you followed the rules. I had friends, but I've drifted from most of them for different reasons. An' well...I did some things that angered some people. So I'm not a social butterfly if you know what I mean."

"I do. An' I get it. I think we've all done somethin' to make someone angry. But it can't be that bad," Callie said.

Esmeralda chuckled mirthlessly. "I don't think you wanna know what I've done, Sheriff," she said. "But thanks for trying to cheer me up anyway."

"Hmmm...well, ya know, you've got Peck. There are a dozen other folks who'd like to be your friend," she said. "An' I'm a right easy-goin' person, so talkin' to me's no problem at all. I'm sure you'll like the place an' the people durin' your stay."

Esmeralda stared down at her milkshake for a little while longer, and then looked over at Callie. A ghost of a smile appeared on her face.

"I'll drink to that, Sheriff," she answered, taking a sip of her milkshake.

"Callie," Callie replied.

"Excuse me?"

"I don't mind people callin' me just 'Sheriff', but I prefer bein' called by name."

"Sorry about that...Callie," Esmeralda said. "I-I might come off as awkward sayin' that..."

"Aw, it's not a big deal! I don't mind it a bit."

Esmeralda smiled, this one feeling a lot more genuine than the first. "I'm glad for that, Callie."

* * *

 _On the other side of town..._

"N-Now, boys, there's no need to do anythin' that you'll regret..." Baxter Badger stammered out.

"Well, well. We understand each other perfectly. I don't want you ta do the same either, badger," Ollie replied coolly, pushing the barrel of his gun onto Baxter's nose. "Now, you'd better throw the money in the bag, or else I'll have to order my men to finish off these people."

Baxter looked at the scene in front of him. Jack and Ollie's other man, the white-tailed deer, had their guns pointed at the customers, who were shaking with fear as they raised their hands into the air. His fourth man, the lizard, cackled as he rummaged through their belongings, and greedily eyed one female armadillo's emerald necklace.

The woman in question gasped. "That was a gift from my husband!"

"Tough luck, lady," the lizard said, pocketing the necklace. "Ask him ta get ya a new one."

"L-Look, there's no need to rob anyone else," Baxter sputtered. "I-I'll let you have the money, but leave the others alone!"

"We're takin' everything!" Ollie snapped. "Now open the safe!"

"Y-You expect me to be worried about a bubblegum pistol-"

Ollie removed his gun from Baxter's face, turned at the wall and fired. Everyone except his men screamed, and Baxter watched in horror as Ollie's bullet made a smoking hole in the wall. He turned back to the coyote, only to meet a red-hot smoking barrel.

"Worried now?" Ollie asked.

That made up Baxter's mind. He quickly entered the combination for the safe, flung open the door and started throwing stacks of money in the sack.

Ollie turned to Jack. "Hand me another sack, Jackie!" he called. He smirked as Jack tossed him another sack. "We're gonna need two bags for this."

* * *

Toby perked up upon hearing the loud pop that rang through the air. He looked around, setting down his comic. "What was that?" he asked, getting down from his chair. Peck was gone and Callie was at the saloon, so he got up and walked down the street to the bank. "Reckon I'd better find out."

He waved to a few passerby, but as he approached the bank, he became aware of someone watching him. He looked through the bank window and a pair of huge gold eyes greeted him. They disappeared just as quickly as they appeared.

"Huh, that's weird," Toby noted, and walked closer to the bank.

Both windows were smashed open with the butts of rifles, sending glass spilling on the street. Toby stopped short, and inside, Baxter yelled, "Sheriff! Deputy! They've got guns!"

"Baxter Badger?" Toby called.

There was a loud _crack_ , and a thud as something hit the floor. The barrels of a rifle and two revolvers poked out the windows, aimed at him.

"Yeah, we've got guns, kid! If you try anythin' stupid, we'll fill yer friend with holes!" someone shouted from inside.

"What?!" Toby gasped.

"Harry, open the door! An' keep your gun trained on the kid!" the voice commanded.

The door opened and a horned lizard dressed in a light brown vest walked out, a large bag slung over his shoulder. He pointed his revolver at Toby. "You're unarmed, kid. If you're smart, you stay right there and don't move."

Toby swallowed and raised his hands in surrender. Something about those guns had him on edge; like everyone else, he'd heard of bubblegum pistols, but the guns they were carrying looked nothing like those.

Harry smirked. "Smart kid." He tossed the bag in the wagon, and then shouted, "Jack, get the other one!"

Toby looked around to see if anyone else was out walking around, and to his horror, some of the residents were starting to move closer out of curiosity. The closest person he could see out of the corner of his eye was Uncle Bun, whose eyes were wide with horror.

He turned towards the rabbit, starting with, "Uncle Bun, don't-"

"SOMEONE CALL THE SHERIFF! IT'S A ROBBERY!" the older rabbit shouted at the top of his lungs, catching everyone's attention.

"Crap!" Jack shouted, and tossed the other bag in, knocking Harry down. "Ollie!"

Toby saw the barrel of the rifle turn towards Uncle Bun. "Uncle Bun, _duck_!"

That warning alone saved the old rabbit's life. He dove for cover just as the shooter blew off one of the poles holding up his store, followed by another bullet crashing through his shop window. The streets of Nice 'n Friendly Corners were soon empty as its citizens were scrambling to get away from the gunfight, screaming all the while.

Toby ran for the saloon, but the report of a rifle filled his ears, and on instinct he dove for cover. A barrel exploded next to him, sending wood and smashed fruit flying everywhere. He remained crouched on the ground, lest he become collateral as well.

"Sheriff Callie! Sheriff Callie! Come quick!" he shouted.

The doors to the saloon flew open and Callie, Esmeralda and Ella all ran out. Callie's eyes were wide with utter shock when she saw the town in disarray. "What in the world is goin' on?!"

"I-It's a robbery, Sheriff!" Toby shouted. "An' these fellas have real guns!"

"Real guns?!" Ella and Callie shouted.

Esmeralda screamed and she dragged the two backwards as one of the marksmen shot at them. His shot crashed into the sign above and sent a chunk spinning off and falling on the steps. Toby turned around to see the robbers make their getaway, a cloud of sand trailing behind them.

"Sheriff, are you alright?!" Toby shouted.

Callie sat up a few moments later, looking out the door. "I-I'm fine. If it weren't for Esmeralda's quick thinkin', I wouldn't be," she breathed, somewhat uneasily She turned to the swallow. "Thanks."

"Y-You're welcome, Sheriff," Esmeralda replied. She took a deep breath and sighed. "T-That was too close for comfort..."

"Who'd bring guns to this town anyway?" Ella asked.

"I don't know...but whoever it is, they're gonna regret doin' it!" Callie replied. She turned to Toby, and the cactus stepped back for a second. He'd never seen such a dark look in her eyes, and he never wanted to see that again. "Toby, you get Peck an' tell him what's going on."

Toby swallowed. "W-What about you, Sheriff Callie?"

"I'm goin' after those men. They're not gettin' away with this," she replied darkly. She then took off running for the livery stable.

Toby gulped. _Oh boy, the sheriff's really angry now..._ He got up and ran in the same direction, hoping Peck wasn't too far off.

* * *

 _Inside Stinky's barn..._

"...an' I think that should do it," Peck replied, grinning to himself before stepping back to survey his handiwork. "Sheriff Callie's going to love this."

"Reckon she will," Farmer Stinky replied, hanging the last few lights around the walls of the barn.

In the center of the room was a small table set for two, draped with a blue and white plaid tablecloth. Farmer Stinky had even gone as far as to use his finest china for setting the table: a set of lovely white plates decorated with pink and yellow posies. In the center of the table was a small bouquet of daisies. It had taken him nearly an hour to make everything right, but he was pleased with the result.

"I jus' wish that they had some roses," Peck said. "That woulda made things really romantic."

"You weren't kiddin' when you said you were goin' all out for your date," Farmer Stinky said.

"Eheheh, well, ya know what I always say: the first impression's gotta be your best one!" Peck replied. He ran his finger along the top of the chair, and frowned when it came away with dust on it. "Say, you got anythin' to clean this off with?"

Farmer Stinky was about to answer, but that was when a shout of Peck's name rang out from outside.

"What in tarnation?" Peck asked, walking with Stinky outside the barn.

Galloping in at full speed towards them on his goat, Little Prickles, Toby burst through the gate. He came to a screeching stop in front of Peck, sending sand flying into his face.

"Pfft-what the?!" sputtered Peck, before coughing a bit of the sand out of his throat. "Toby, what in the world are you doin'!?"

"Sorry, Peck, but I had to come an' find ya!" Toby said. "We've got a problem back in town!"

Peck's eyes widened. "What problem?"

"Some fellas came to town and robbed the bank with guns!" Toby said. "And I'm talkin' about the real kinds!"

"Holy jalapenos!" Peck shouted.

"That can't be good," Stinky deadpanned.

"Where's the sheriff? Is she alright?!" Peck asked. "They didn't shoot her, did they?"

"No, but they nearly hurt Esmeralda an' Ella!" Toby explained. "Sheriff Callie's chasin' them down, but she told me to come an' get you."

"We've gotta catch up with them before it's too late!" Peck shouted. He turned to Farmer Stinky. "Farmer Stinky, I'll be back around a little later. I've gotta help the sheriff, on account of I'm the deputy!"

"Hey, don't worry about it, Deputy Peck."

Peck quickly thanked him and rushed off to get his mule, Clementine, who was tethered to the fence outside. "Come on, Clementine! We've gotta get movin'!" he said.

The mule looked over at him, brayed mournfully as if to say, "Forget it", and returned to eating the grass by the fence.

"Oh, no! I am not gonna fight with you today!" Peck shook the reins. "Come on, giddyup!"

Toby rode over to him. "You think we'll make it in time?" he asked.

"I don't know. But they've gone an' made me mad now," Peck said. "If they even think of harmin' Sheriff Callie, they're gonna answer to me."

* * *

 _Meanwhile..._

"You think we got far away from the sheriff?" Jack shouted.

"Who cares! We made off with the goods, didn't we?!" Ollie said, spurring the horse on. "Quit worryin'! We've already covered enough ground!"

"I just hope we-"

Jack's statement was interrupted when Harry shouted, "It's the sheriff!"

Everyone turned around to see a cloud of dust trailing behind them, a blur of blue hidden in its throes. With her hand on her lasso and her green eyes narrowed in concentration, Sheriff Callie urged Sparky on, rapidly gaining on them. The determined rage on her face chilled Jack and Harry to the bone.

"We're screwed," Harry groaned.

"How the heck did she catch up with us?!" Jack shouted.

"At this point, I don't care," Ollie snarled, pulling out his gun and turning to face Callie. "But she won't be a problem after this!"

He had the satisfaction of seeing her eyes widen as he opened fire. However, his shots didn't connect, as she weaved in and out of the line of fire, almost running into several cacti on the way. Ollie grumbled. She was keeping that horse light on his toes so she could keep chasing them.

Then it hit him. _Her horse, eh?_ Aiming at the ground, Ollie fired directly at Sparky's hooves instead of at the sheriff.

The horse's shriek of pain, followed by Callie's scream of terror, was music to his ears. Sparky toppled over on his side, sending Callie spilling out of her saddle and tumbling to the ground next to him.

A deep, throaty laugh escaped Ollie's throat. "What'd I tell ya boys?" he shouted, and clapped Harry on the back. "We've got a clear way ta town now!"

Their cheers echoed through the prairie as they raced on.

* * *

Toby almost didn't believe what he was seeing. "P-Peck-" he started.

 _"Sheriff Callie!"_ Peck screamed, his voice cracking on her name.

Toby coughed as he spurred Clementine on as fast as she could go, racing past him and leaving a trail of dust in his face. "P-Peck, wait for me!" he shouted.

Peck didn't hear nor acknowledge him. Callie and Sparky were on the ground, hurt and _bleeding_ from his point of view. Sparky was sitting on the ground, neighing mournfully as he looked at his bleeding leg. As for Callie, she was stumbling to her feet, holding a hand to her head. A little bit of blood pooled down the length of her arm.

Anger filtered in through his worry. _I swear, whoever did this is gonna pay! "Sheriff! I'm a-comin'!"_

He pulled Clementine to a stop and in his haste, almost fell out of the saddle. After regaining his bearings, he ran over to her. "Sheriff Callie, are you-"

"No, I'm not alright!" Callie shouted. Her voice cracked on the last word, and Peck stopped short. He'd never heard that tone in her voice before, a tone that was so hot with anger, and at the same time, defeated. "How can I be, when those confoundin' outlaws made off with who knows how much money?!"

"I-I..." Peck swallowed. "I-I'm sorry, Sheriff. I was ridin' here as fast as I could and I-"

"Well, you didn't get here fast enough," she ground out. The hurt in her voice had given way to the anger now, hot and accusing. "If you'd been here, I could've come up with a plan to stop him! Now they've left the otwn in ruins, Sparky's been shot and now, I don't know how far they've gotten!"

"Sheriff, I-"

"What in the world were you doin' that kept you out of town for that long?!" Callie shouted.

Toby rode up beside them just as Peck's whole body started shuddering. He gulped. "P-Peck-"

"What in the world were _you_ doin' that made you run after a group of outlaws with guns with nothin' but a lasso!?" Peck shouted back, so loudly birds were sent flying across the plain.

"You know that nothin' can stop my lasso, Peck!"

"Yeah? Well, it didn't stop them from shootin' Sparky, did it?"

Toby was horrified. _"Peck!"_

"Well, its true!" Peck replied. "If the sheriff had a gun, she could've put an end to 'em! There's no way she should've run out here alone with nothin' but-"

Callie stepped forward and seized his vest, and whatever Peck had been about to say died on his tongue. If emotions could kill, then he would've died several times over. The absolute rage on Callie's face was chilling.

"How dare you say that, Peck! You of all people know that I don't tolerate violence in my town!" she ground out. "I'm not gonna stoop to their level an' shoot people just because! People like them have no business ownin' a gun!"

"S-Sheriff-"

"Those outlaws could've been armed with a dozen guns, and I still would've gone after them alone! I would've chased them down an' brought them in, an' make them sorry they ever brought guns into this town!" The longer she kept talking the louder she got. "'Cause they're not gonna get away with tryin' to kill my friends with those things! And I'm not going to stand for people dyin' here, Peck! _I'm not going to lose anybody else to people like them_!"

Peck started to say something, but the sheriff's last words stopped him short. "W-Wait...wait a darn minute...people _died_ in this town?!" he asked.

Toby jumped down from Little Prickles. Tears were filling his eyes. "Peck, Callie! Please don't fight! I-I don't want you two to fight each other!" he pleaded.

"I-I don't want to either," Peck replied nervously. He'd never harm a woman, and thinking of doing that to Sheriff Callie was a foolish idea. "W-What's this about people dyin' in this town from guns?"

Callie glared at him, and for a moment, Peck feared she was going to rake her claws across his face. However, she shoved him away from her, so suddenly he fell to the ground. "You probably wouldn't understand anyway," she said darkly, turning to face Sparky.

Peck jumped up. "I would if you would just tell me-"

"I don't have to explain anythin' to a fella who spouts words like that!" Callie snapped. "I can't believe you, Peck. Since when did you become such a jerk?!"

Peck started with, "Now hold on a minute, I am not a-"

"You want answers?" Callie started. Her voice was raw from shouting so much. "Go ask Doc. Or Tio. Or Ella, for sassafras' sakes! But I'm not tellin' you a thing!"

Toby stared at the scene before him, mouth agape. In the years they'd known each other, Peck and Callie had never, and he meant _never,_ fought, and certainly not like this. He was just as troubled as Peck about what she'd said, but trying to ask right now was a terrible idea.

Peck didn't say anything for a long while, just stared at Callie incredulously. He felt a whirlwind of emotions, namely anger, concern and disappointment, all directed at her. He'd been looking forward to tonight's dinner date, but now it didn't sound so appealing.

He turned to Toby. "I'm gonna go an' get Doc Quackers, Farmer Stinky an' Dirty Dan an' Dusty. The sheriff's gonna need their help to get Sparky back to town. He ain't walkin' anywhere with that leg," he said.

"W-What do I do?" Toby asked.

"Stay with the sheriff an' help her tend to Sparky," Peck replied. "As deputy of this here town...it's my duty to help the sheriff."

Callie turned to look at him. Through the anger and hurt, there was pain in her eyes, pain that went back years. "Thanks, Peck," she said quietly.

"No problem, Sheriff," he answered quietly. He jumped up on Clementine and turned towards Toby. "I won't be long."

Apparently, even Clementine understood the gravity of the situation, for she quickly trotted off on the first go. And as Peck rode into town, he couldn't help but feel that their fight had stirred something deeper.

* * *

 _Several hours later..._

It was nightfall when things were finally calm in Nice n' Friendly Corners. The damage in the main street was still evident, but the citizens could take comfort in knowing that nobody was hurt. However, it would be tough getting to sleep with knowing all that had happened in the last few hours.

Sparky had been brought into Doc Quackers' office with the help of everyone in town. Doc had removed the bullet from the horse's leg, but had advised Callie that the horse should take it easy for a while and let his leg heal, as well as nothing too strenuous even after the cast came off. Currently, Sparky was back at the sheriff's house, where both she and Sparky had decided to recuperate. Doc had wanted Callie to stay for a few more days, but she had insisted, and the whole town had ridden out with her to her house.

Everyone but Peck, that is. He and Toby had decided to take charge while she was gone. And he didn't want to see Callie right then, right after the fight they'd had. Normally, he didn't mind looking after things in Callie's place, but today he wasn't really looking forward to it, especially with everything that was going on. And he had the feeling that there was more to this than he'd thought, as well as the fact that Callie's words might have been true-that he really was a jerk.

Frustrated with himself, Peck had walked over to Doc Quackers' office and told him what had happened. He'd thought Doc would understand, but Doc took it just as bad. It wouldn't have been a stretch to say he was angrier than Callie had been.

"What possessed you to say that, Deputy?!" he shouted, startling the woodpecker. Doc wasn't exactly the world's calmest person around, but even so, it was shocking to see him get this angry. "Do you realize what you've done?"

"W-Well...now I'm startin' ta feel real guilty for what I said to her," Peck answered. "I-"

"Well, you should! For a hothead, you're usually a lot more thoughtful with your words, Deputy Peck!" Doc Quackers replied, shaking his head in disapproval.

Peck rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Yeah, I know...an' I saw how hurt she was after I yelled at her." Already, her distressed and angry expression was already burned in his mind. "But somethin' she said..."

"You're not going to badmouth her are you?" Doc started, frowning. "Because if you do-"

"No...it's not that. It's just that somethin' she said stuck with me, an' I can't figure out what she meant by that," he said.

Doc leaned against his work bench, his arms folded and face still set in that disbelieving frown. "And what, pray tell, was that?"

"When she yelled at me earlier, she said that she didn't want to lose anybody else to people like those outlaws," he answered.

Doc's disapproving look melted into shock. "She told you that?"

"Well, when I asked her if anybody had died in this town, she said that I wouldn't understand," he said. "And that she wasn't plannin' on tellin' me since I said those words to her. Then she called me a jerk."

Doc didn't say anything, just continued to stare at him in utter shock and fear, from what Peck could see. The woodpecker started forward in concern. "What's wrong, Doc? You look-"

"You don't know?" Doc's reply was a hushed whisper. He turned away from Peck, scratching his bill. "Of course...it all makes sense now. If you'd known, you wouldn't have said that."

"If I'd known what?" Peck asked. When Doc didn't answer, he walked over to the mallard's right, his expression confused. "Don't hold me in suspense, Doc! Tell me what's goin' on with her! I've never seen Sheriff Callie act like that in all my born days!"

"No, you haven't. But I have," Doc Quackers said softly, his eyes narrowing in concern. "You see, Peck...there's a reason why Callie's been keepin' to herself, an' why she's not givin' you a clear answer. It's not your fault..."

"Then what's goin' on?" Peck asked.

"You might want to get comfortable, Deputy," Doc replied. "This is a long story, and it's gonna take me a long time to tell it."

 **End of Part 6**

* * *

 _ **Finally, after months of writer's block and such, I finally finish chapter 6! *throws a party***_

 _ **This was a difficult chapter to write, honestly. I had a lot of ideas for events that would happen in this chapter, but when I read through it, it didn't make sense. And for a while I couldn't make sense of it, so I wrote off and on, hoping for a strike of inspiration. And yesterday, when I was watching the show on Hulu, I found it. I did what I did with "For Love and Glory" and wrote the rough version first followed by cleaning it up for wording and dialogue editing.**_

 _ **Writing Callie and Esmeralda was both fun and challenging. I must admit that Callie was a little tougher to write than Esmeralda, though, because while I mostly have Esmeralda figured out, Callie's still kinda tricky to write out. I didn't want to keep her as this busybody sheriff for the whole fic, and I wanted to show her inner thoughts just as well as I showed off Esmeralda's. Probably making things worse is that Callie, while I really do like her, isn't my favorite character on the show; that position belongs to a certain scene-stealing woodpecker XD But don't worry, I haven't neglected her; on the contrary, I have a lot of plans for her development as well. Callie's a rather friendly gal in the cartoon, so you'll be seeing more of that as the fic goes on, though right now, thanks to what those outlaws did and what Peck said, she's probably not going to be friendly for a bit ^^;**_

 _ **Speaking of Peck, even though his presence was kinda dialed back in this chapter, he still remains my favorite character to write in this fic, although Toby's right behind him in that regard. I figured he'd be the type to yell things without really thinking them through, hence why that fight with Callie happened in the first place. And as he's going to learn, there's a good reason why Callie was stressed out and angry, and why he REALLY shouldn't have said what he said.**_

 _ **I know I said I WAS going to reveal what happened to Callie in this chapter, but I changed my mind again. I wouldn't want this to feel like I was trying to jam everything into one chapter, like I do with a few of my other stories. ^^  
**_

 _ **I don't know which story I'll update next, but whichever one it is, it's going to be one that I haven't worked in at least a year or so. But I'll still work on chapter 7 of YGMA whenever the idea strikes me.**_

 _ **Reviews are great, and constructive criticism is awesome! As always, thank you for your kind comments, and I'll see you around!**_

 _ **God bless, iheartgod175**_


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